I've been thinking about the fact that God makes us a new creation each day lately. Part of that has to do with things that he has graciously removed from my world and from my mind. It was quite lovely to unload somethings that had been weighing me down. Recently, I realized some images that I had been carrying around with me that were not healthy for me. God blessed me with a way to remove those and He did it in such a way that I have the ability to drop things into that toss pile anytime I discover a new one.
But it also makes me wonder what other things I should free up. For instance, what if my friends list on Facebook was made new each day? Would I choose to continue every relationship that I have connected with through Facebook? I'm not sure if that answer is yes. And then the other part of is do I care if they get mad at me, when my heart says "They are not really your friend." Or should I put forth the effort to actually be friends with everyone on my Facebook list? I don't know what the answer is and maybe it's a combination of both.
And what about my real life neighbors? We live in a condo complex in an end unit, which means that I have to go out of my way to interact with my neighbors, but don't we all? And what kind of interaction should I pursue? What if I treated everyone of them as if they were a friend and invited them over for tea or conversation on occasion?
And what about this what if...What if I shared the things that I've done wrong or haven't quite perfected in my life with those that are close to me? The ones that I feel that God has placed in my life to help me grow or to be sharpening point for me? What if I was vulnerable and let people see me and then was willing to deal with the consequences of those actions, whether they are good or bad? Would that help me grow closer to God or would it push me further away from the community that He has invited all of us to enter into with our brothers and sisters in Christ?
I don't really know the answer to most of these questions. I have an idea about how some of them would play out and I know that I'm tainted because I've seen it play out badly. What if God showed me the bad in order to better appreciate the good and what if by not making an action towards the greatest good, God, I am, in fact, sentencing myself to a life of purgatory?
What are your what if's?
But it also makes me wonder what other things I should free up. For instance, what if my friends list on Facebook was made new each day? Would I choose to continue every relationship that I have connected with through Facebook? I'm not sure if that answer is yes. And then the other part of is do I care if they get mad at me, when my heart says "They are not really your friend." Or should I put forth the effort to actually be friends with everyone on my Facebook list? I don't know what the answer is and maybe it's a combination of both.
And what about my real life neighbors? We live in a condo complex in an end unit, which means that I have to go out of my way to interact with my neighbors, but don't we all? And what kind of interaction should I pursue? What if I treated everyone of them as if they were a friend and invited them over for tea or conversation on occasion?
And what about this what if...What if I shared the things that I've done wrong or haven't quite perfected in my life with those that are close to me? The ones that I feel that God has placed in my life to help me grow or to be sharpening point for me? What if I was vulnerable and let people see me and then was willing to deal with the consequences of those actions, whether they are good or bad? Would that help me grow closer to God or would it push me further away from the community that He has invited all of us to enter into with our brothers and sisters in Christ?
I don't really know the answer to most of these questions. I have an idea about how some of them would play out and I know that I'm tainted because I've seen it play out badly. What if God showed me the bad in order to better appreciate the good and what if by not making an action towards the greatest good, God, I am, in fact, sentencing myself to a life of purgatory?
What are your what if's?
That Facebook question is an interesting one. I've thought about doing the same thing, but I'm wondering who I'd piss off.
ReplyDeleteAs far as sharing the things I've done wrong, I'm an open book. I'm a horrible liar and cannot keep a secret, so everything is out in the open. It's quite freeing, actually. Perhaps you should put it all out there.
Makes me wonder what you wish you knew ;) I did get rid of a few people on Facebook that I haven't interacted with in quite some time, cleaned up my feed a bit.
ReplyDeleteYour "what ifs" are sure thought provoking! I too have wondered what if you end a friend relationship that isn't exactly healthy for you or what if you were able to tell others the things that are really upsetting you instead of keeping the happy mask on. Thanks for making me think!
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