“How’re You Doin’?” vs. “How Are You Doing?”

As some who read this may know, I had a couple of issues with my health within a relatively short time frame a few years ago. It was during that time that I learned the difference between “How’re you doin’?” and “How are you doing.”  

After my health was better, Donna and I were steroid-usa privileged to spend a few days at the Freed-Hardeman University Lectureship. It is always a profitable experience for us.  

The wonderful fellowship we get to enjoy with people of “…like precious faith…” (2 Peter 1:1) is one of the highlights of our year as well. We are looking forward to another highlight in February of next year. Our oldest grandson is a freshman at FHU. I’m thinking that he might get some free meals “on us” during the lectureship.

The primary reason for attending this event is that it is a learning experience. It would be almost impossible to calculate the tremendous benefit that Donna and I gain from the lessons we hear. At this next lectureship, Donna will be providing some of that beneficial information and insight as she speaks to the ladies in attendance.  

However, some of the best “life lessons” I’ve ever learned at the FHU lectureship were not learned during any lecture. They were learned during the first lectureship I was able to attend after the issues I had experienced with my health. They were learned as I was walking across campus, having breakfast at our motel with other Christians, or visiting with people at the book exhibits, etc.

During those times, I would run into people I knew. Many of them would greet me with the standard, “Hey, how’re you doin’?” They were in a hurry and I was in a hurry, so the casual greeting was merely an acknowledgment that we’d seen one another.

This was not true of everybody I saw, though. On some occasions, there were those who stopped me, looked me squarely in the eye, and asked, “How are you doing?” That question was totally different from a casual greeting.

You see, it was not a casual greeting. It really was a question.  

They really cared.

These people had not seen me for quite a while. They had heard something about some of the health issues I had been dealing with. They might not have known any details. In fact, some of them told me that they “had just heard something.” Most of them informed me that they’d been praying for me.

I’m sure that I am still benefitting from some of the lectures I heard, but, with the passage of time, I do not recall any particular presentation. I do have the lectureship book and can refer to it if I need to.

I don’t need a book to remember the lessons I learned from those who took the time to sincerely ask about my wellbeing. I have those memories in my heart.  

I’d like to share some of those memories and life lessons with you. Here are just a few of the things I learned from the “How are you doing people” – 

• God’s family is the greatest family there is.
• We all have people who care even when we don’t know about their care.
• We may have people praying for us when we are unaware of those prayers being offered.
• It means a lot when somebody is interested in you personally.
• It means even more when somebody is praying for you personally.

And – the #1 lesson I learned was that I need to do a lot better job of being a  “how are you doing” person instead of a “how’re you doin’?” person!

How about you? Are there individuals for whom you care deeply? Do they know about your care for them? Are you doing anything to demonstrate that care?

How are you doing in that area of your life and in your relationships with others?

“…the members should have the same care one for another” (1 Cor. 12:25 KJV)

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AUTHOR: Jim Faughn