Hot chocolate and coffee, and a long conversation with Stevie. It's amazing to me that she and I were barely friends a year ago. That without knowing it, we both prayed so much for God to bring Christian female friends into our lives. We needed it. At least I did. I always thought she was too fun to enjoy hanging around me, and I think she thought the opposite that I was too serious to connect with her. Little did I realize how much her friendship could teach me, inspire me, heal me in ways I did not anticipate needing healing. Little did I imagine the battles a year could bring, battles that I would need a friend to fight with. And I'm thankful for this year that brought this friend into my life, a forever friend who sees the value in me that I struggle to see. A friend who sticks with me when Im not even the me that I love. It's a friendship formed by God and unbreakable because he has put it together.
Such a meaningful friendship that I even spent two hours talking with Clay and asked, "Tell me what you love about Stevie."
About to watch The Hobbit by a warm toasty fire.
Pepper jack grilled cheese is a metaphor for giving the unexpected a chance. What if Id never given Stevie Bailey a chance? I wouldn't be the Catherine I am now. This Catherine is growing into the woman I hope to be. Not because of my strength but of continual daily gifts from God. His love. In the form of hot chocolate and coffee, unshowered hair, sweatpants, flannel, the hobbit, talks about faith, knowing someone else from afar and close, eyes open to the way people are wonderfully different from me. How much we have to learn from anyone and everyone around us.
In the last lecture at NU, Professor Renee said, "You don't get bonus points for struggling alone." So why do it? It feels safer. It's terrifying to be vulnerable about struggles in the present. Debilitating paralysis overcomes the lips although the thoughts are spinning. What value in a friend who can see and say, "What's wrong? I can tell you're hiding something." Luke Miedma once said that our closeness with others will flow from our closeness with God. Hard lesson to learn how to expose our hurts to God. In opening to Him, we find the strength to open to others who are the words and hands of God. We LONG for God to be with us! We do. We long to hear him, see him, touch him, be held by him, be assured by physical presence that He is real and that He loves us. The thing is, He does hold us. He does talk to us. Through others who love him. We are literally the hands and feet of Christ.
I'm hoping to shift my blog to be only partially about my thoughts and experiences, to use them as a medium for what might be encouraging to others. Although this could potentially be didactic or prescriptive Ill try to be honest, examining what is difficult to address, acknowledge, and understand. I feel that if I've learned anything from my work in facilitation, especially from Michael Rohd, it is that a conversation is never done. There is Always another angle to consider. And only by reaching into the unknown do we develop a deep understanding and personal conviction about a belief. So my advice, and as a disclaimer any advice I give is even more deeply advice that I need but struggle to follow, my advice is to let people in. Give them a chance. I think you'll be deeply surprised by how good it is to give the new a chance. Possibly as good as a pepper jack grilled cheese.
No comments:
Post a Comment