Are You O.K.?

How many times a day does someone say to you, "Are you o.k.?"  That question is so loaded and yet not really.  And to begin with how do you even answer that question?  I mean yes, I am alive and breathing and God has given me another day to live.  So I guess the answer could always be yes.  In another since, no, I am struggling with sin and relationships in my life and on and on and on and on.  But I am dealing with them and today is better than yesterday.  So, to me "Are you o.k.?" is a stupid question.  Don't get me wrong, I am very guilty of asking this loaded question.  And when others answer me and say yes, I guess they aren't lying.  If I really wanted to know what was going on in their lives, however, wouldn't I just ask them things like, "How was your day?" or "What's on your mind?" or "how are you dealing with your struggles?"  In being intentional with building Christ centered relationships shouldn't we put more weight in our questioning?  A simple "Are you o.k.?" isn't going to be enough for me anymore.  Digging deeper needs to happen.  At the heart of a good friendship or any relationship is accountability.  And sometimes accountability begins with simply asking the right questions.