What do you do when what you are good at challenges people, ticks people off or rubs them the wrong way? My facebook status stated that my spiritual gift may be being a pain in the butt. I ask questions. Lots of questions. It is how I process things, shift through to find the important, how I challenge someone to see from a different perspective, it is how my mind works. I do it almost without thinking, but is that a good thing?
Another thing that energizes me is hanging out with people (which usually involves asking questions). I love when my schedule is lined up with chances to spend time with friends. I can tell when I haven't had that outlet for awhile. I am hard wired to spend time involved with people on a deeper level. Not big groups, but people who I can talk to and find out about what is going on in their lives. I simply have a passion for that.
We all have things that define who we are. Those differences or quirks are what makes community so good for us. Energizing at times, frustrating at others. We learn to live with each other, finding those strengths and passions, and growing because we are different. I love the diversity in the people who make up my community. The one who is more radical than me, the one who calls for caution, the structured, the random, the seriousness, the funny, the encouragement, the challenge - the different extremes that make my life full. What an incredible mixture that lets us be even better as a group. That, to me, is what we are suppose to be as the Church. Not some select group of people who are completely in agreement with us. Diversity, tension, and humility in those differences can produce some tremendous chances for growth. What do you bring to the table - both good and bad? How does your personality, passions and weaknesses make your community richer? Who do you surround yourself with that is different from you?
I have the initials of the three guys who are the closest to me as part of my tattoo. The tattoo is a reminder of the community I have in my passion to strive on focusing on being centered on Christ. Those three guys are very different from each other and from me, but because of those guys my life is so much more than I thought possible. The strengths they have balance out my weaknesses, their passions cover things I might not think about, they see things from a different point of view than me, and I know that I am better because of that. Is there tension, do we disagree, do we challenge each other - absolutely, but I wouldn't change that. That diversity, centered around Jesus, makes them closer than I could have ever imagined. What does your community look like?
1 comment:
I think I am able to work/talk through stuff. I think when it comes to community I bring that to the table. I think I am a pretty loyal friend. And when I get into "the groove" I can be pretty consistant. I like to try and think outside the box. I like to be stretched and I like to stretch people. I like questions and questioners. I don't really like to be fake. Sometimes I think I have a good sense of humor.
My weaknesses are things like insecurities, fears. I am not too cautious which I think might make people nervous at times. I can be moody at times. I tend to be really open to lots of different kinds of people and consequently I sniff out people who aren,t too open, or have a very narrow view of life. And I am not too tolerant of people like that, but Jesus is teaching me how to do it. Some of my fears are related to new people and new social situations. My personality is to be quiet and shy by nature and so I don't always participate socially like I would like. And sometimes my anxiety can shut me down or make me come off a little awkward.
That's kind of a look at me and what I bring to the table relationaly, good and bad, I think.
Post a Comment