Howdy, folks! Starting today and for the next few days we have a great lineup of guest authors here at the Zone for your reading pleasure. And a pleasure it will be, too! So stay tuned every day this week for a great lineup!

Today we have a guest post from my friend Karen Swim of Words for Hire. I first met her via Joanna Young’s blogging community at Confident Writing, and have always been blessed by her remarkable insights.

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What I Learned From Balloon Animals

by Karen Swim

I walked into church on Sunday and saw happy faces wearing balloons on their head. Now before we go any further, let me explain this is not a normal occurrence! While the atmosphere at church is always upbeat, there was a more festive mood today. I moved a little slower through the corridor as I wondered, if it was really Sunday. I had a tough week, was it Saturday? Was this Neighborhood Bible Camp?  Hey, was I even awake? I rubbed my eyes just in case and blinked twice. I mean I have been known to have vivid dreams and did sleep read as a kidI I gave my arm a quick pinch (Ouch!) and confirmed that indeed I was awake.

As I got closer to the sanctuary, I spotted my pastor wearing a goofy grin, a pair of shorts and a balloon animal on his head. Well, church was sure going to be interesting today!

A Joyous Celebration

I slid into a pew and opened the bulletin to see what was in store. On the front was a picture of smiling church members with suitcases and a scripture that aptly summed up their trip:

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” (Psalms 126:3, New International Version)

The pastor and a group of members had just returned from Bosnia and today were going to share tales of their trip.  Each member would share and there would be skits in between. Well this would be fun!

No Words Required

The team had spent 10 days in a rented home with one bathroom. Let’s just say they got to know each other pretty well. I listened intently as they described the wonderful people they met and the warmth they received. While in Bosnia they had gathered daily at a park where they performed skits, puppet shows, sang songs and painted the faces of children who gathered. The skits ranged from Paul Bunyan to bible stories and were performed without words.

I watched as each skit was performed without words but with a meaning so clear it could be understood in any language. The last skit was so moving, it brought tears to my eyes. It detailed the struggle of the Bosnian people and reinforced God’s love. Although I had not endured the war and hardship even I clearly understood the powerful message.

I left church with a balloon animal in hand and thought of the communication without words. I wondered how often I babble away at people in a foreign tongue. Do I chatter away about writing, marketing and social media in words that sound like jibberish to the uninitiated? Do I communicate my heart in the words that I write? Is my message clear to those who may not speak the same language?

From the Heart

The mission team was sensitive to the language barrier. While many of the Bosnian people spoke English the church team members came prepared to communicate on common ground. They were more concerned with connecting and building a relationship than “selling” their message. They allowed their hearts and their passion for helping people to guide their communications. As a result, bonds of friendship were formed and led to ongoing communication. One team member even bridged the sign language barrier (Bosnians use British Sign Language as opposed to American Sign Language) with a group of folks at an internet café.

I looked at the balloon animal and realized that while words can be powerful we may sometimes hide behind them. We put our words out front and use them to do the talking when what is really needed is our heart. I realized that I could do a better job of communicating without words. It was important to try to build a relationship that required no fancy terms or “special” language, to listen and understand the needs of others in their language before I ever attempted to present a solution.

I kept the balloon animal on my desk all week to remind me to allow my heart to shine through in all of my communications.  While I learn a lot at church, I never expected such a powerful lesson from balloon animals!

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Karen Swim is the owner of Words For Hire.  She combines marketing science and artful storytelling to help her clients capture the attention of their target audience. She blogs about life, shoes and other adventures at Words For Hire.