"Give up your place". I heard that quote a few weeks back and it still rings clear in my head. When I first heard it, I thought to myself, "well, I don't really have any place, so I don't have to do anything.". Boy was I wrong. Part of "my place" are the people that I choose to let into my life, and for that matter my own personal space. A few weeks ago, while I was on a service trip in Cleveland I was forced to give up my place and give up all the personal space I had, and truth be told, it was very uncomfortable. I whined, I ached, and all I could think about was how I wanted my space back. But now looking back on the experience, I can clearly see that I needed to give up my space. "Necessity is the mother of invention", and I needed to step back from my mundane and confining lifestyle and be surrounded by others. And now that I am home, I can see that I still need to let go of my place, and keep the growth alive.
The challenge this week is to have a meal/drink/5 minute conversation with somebody who you do not like, or somebody who you feel doesn't like you. Part of giving up your place is giving up your past feelings towards others. Try to find out something about the other person, see if there is some common ground to bond over. You may be surprised, but in order for it to happen you have to put your place aside and step outside your comfort zone. It won't be easy, it won't be comfortable, but it will be good. If you let it be.
No comments:
Post a Comment