"what are you doing now?"

I don't know how to answer that, my dear acquaintance who asked when we were standing in line because I don't know what your question really is. My mind scrambles.

"what are you doing now?"
We have kids the same age and you are commenting on how adorable my grandchildren are. You are obviously a smart woman. I totally agree with you. And I wonder if you want to know what I am doing now that my children are married with families of their own.

"what are doing now?"
You know I am a widow so are you asking what I do now that Bill is gone?

"what are you doing now?"
You know that I have actively invested in the lives of young people who are athletes ever since Deborah began playing basketball at the High School twenty years ago. You know that it carried over to KCU students. So are you asking about that?

"what are you doing now?"
I choose to answer the easiest option.
I begin, "I am still working with the men's soccer team at KCU..."
and before I could get the complete thought spoken you were asking if I was still selling Tastefully Simple Products. You have asked me to set up at several vendor events and I have declined each one. 
Now it is a little awkward, I don't want you to think my lack of interest in setting up is personally against you. It isn't. So I begin explaining that I am not a sales person. I have customers that have bought from me for years and they reorder...and before I can finish you have turned away and are speaking to the lady behind you. I am not offended. I am perplexed.

What am I doing now, since we bumped into one another?
I am going back over our conversation in my mind.
Wondering if I did okay or if I should have said something else.
Wondering if you were simply making polite conversation.
Wondering if things would have gone differently if I had been totally honest.

What do I do now?
I wish there was a quick and easy way to tell you.
I am doing the same thing now that I have done for years.

I put one foot in front of the other to get through each day.
Some days I want to be a hermit and avoid people altogether.
Some days social situations are not a challenge.
Infrequently large social gatherings are a pleasure.
Some days I am able to walk a little quicker, a little farther.
Some days it is work to simply get out of bed, get dressed and feed myself.
I love deeply.
I feel deeply.
I hurt deeply.
I try to listen to the intent of the heart rather than the words that are spoken.
I try to honor God in my thoughts, my attitudes and my actions.
I try to be an encourager.
I serve when and where and who I can.
I look for things to be thankful for.
I read my Bible.
I pray. A lot.

What am I doing now?
I am striving to be who God created me to be.
I am trying to honor Him with my choices.
I am trying to reflect Him in my living.
I am falling more in love with Him every single day.

But I don't think that is what you were asking,
so that is not the answer I gave.
But maybe, just maybe it is the answer I should have given.