Community

I am not an extrovert. I can act like an extrovert for a time, but I'm exhausted after a long period of being "outgoing." Although I recognize that I am a little toward the left of center on the introvert/extrovert scale, I also recognize that I need my community (or communities). That's what I was thinking about this morning during worship. (Sorry, Pastor, my mind has a tendency to wander...)

As I looked around the sanctuary, I was filled with joy...and gratitude...for this eclectic group of people. I love these people. I belong in that community. Now, I'd be less than honest if I led you to believe that I am (or even could be) good friends with all these folks. That's the beauty of this community. We are a feast of backgrounds, interests and temperaments. Some of us have led lives as "outsiders" while others have been on the inside socially, politically, financially or any other way you may describe "inside" but we come together to form this little community of saints - and that feeds my soul. I am grateful for you and to you, Immanuel.

Facebook

Thank you Facebook. I mean it. I have just re-connected with a college friend. She is not just "any" friend, but I'd say she is the person who taught me what it means to be friends. We were so close in college and for a while after graduation, that I couldn't have imagined that we would ever lose touch, but sadly, we did.

All those years we didn't communicate, I ached with the loss. You do, however, move on and that is what we both did. We had families and careers and joy and pain; but we weren't able to share those with each other. I don't think that the loss was without value; I learned some things from it. I just wish it hadn't happened.

I learned that you don't take friendship for granted. I learned that good relationships don't "just happen." You have to work on them. I learned that girlfriends are like oxygen...you have to have them!

What happens next? I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that I'm grateful to Facebook for giving us another chance. I'm going to work on this one!

Just Thinking...

When I first thought about writing a gratitude blog, it seemed like a good idea. I would discipline myself to consciously approach life with an open mind and learn to see the good all around me. Well, I have thought about gratitude every day; I just haven’t written a word. In my defense, I have been celebrating.

We celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary, there were several holiday celebrations with friends and family, and then there is the bathroom renovation that keeps on giving…so, of course I haven’t written anything. In the midst of all this celebrating, I have to admit that the idea of gratitude has been with me throughout this busy season.

So, today is my second attempt at “grateful” writing and I have to say that I’m grateful for all those things that have kept me from writing since December 10. I am particularly glad to…
…have a husband who has stuck with me through thick and thin (literally).
…be married to a man who can fix things.
…be part of a family that still chooses to get together for special occasions.
…have a group of friends, some of long standing and others relatively new, who are interesting and fun.
…finally be getting the dreary bathroom transformed into something pleasant and functional.

More later.

And away we go...

Well, as pretentious as it seems to me, I am entering the blogosphere. Maybe it's the season, maybe it's an age thing or maybe it's just a whim, but I have decided to take the plunge into blogging. My immediate goal for myself is to use this blog to develop my own attitude of gratitude.

I am a recovering “fixer.” It’s encoded in my DNA. You show me a situation, and I’ll give you five ways you can make it better. I do know that’s not such a good trait. (I did say I’m recovering.) I want to develop a way of seeing that enables me to view my surroundings and be grateful for something just as it is…no bells, no whistles, no glitter or bows…no fixing.

This is a start. We’ll see where it goes.