It’s About Knowing

Recently my roommate described a mutual friend as someone who has grown constantly in her faith and in her likeness to Jesus since the day they met.

That’s what I want.  I want for people to see me in 6 weeks and see a change in my heart and in my motives and in my likeness of Christ.

Sometimes I look at myself and recognize areas in which I’ve digressed. I have fallen short on things that I thought I’d learned and conquered. I replay conversations with friends that didn’t even sound like God was present for. My alone time was spent selfishly. My time with the Lord was non-existent.

When I asked this wise friend what she did to grow so much that everyone notices it, her answer was (of course) one that wasn’t cut and dry.  It wasn’t something that I could go home and do today.  I honestly don’t know what her answer was exactly.  But here is what I got out of it: It’s about knowing the Lord.  It’s not about growing because I want people to think that I’m godly (or because I actually want to be godly), It’s not about growing because I want my relationships to be good or because I want to have a great career.  It’s about knowing the Lord, and as a direct affect of that growing.  Becoming more like Him.

That’s how I’ll become an expert blesser.  That’s how I’ll find purpose and identity.

Walking

Over the past week an idea that’s been stuck in my head thanks to Amanda Wood has been the concept of walking along side someone.  We discussed it about 2 weeks ago in the context of walking along side someone who you are dating or married to.  But since then, I’ve thought about it over and over and over, and every time I think about it, the Lord gives me a new understanding of exactly what that means.

A customer in Atlanta Bread Company was sitting in a corner on his computer, sipping his coffee, and enjoying his soup.  An employee at ABC was wiping down tables, gathering dishes, and serving customers.

Two people in basically opposite seasons.  One retired.  One working a minimum-wage (or close) job.  One with so much life behind him, the other with so much life left to live.

Walking beside one another.

As the employee was cleaning, the customer asked him about his progress on meeting some goals.  They obviously didn’t know each other’s names, and yet have talked enough to have a conversation about goals and dreams. They both encouraged each other in doing some things they both desire to do.  The older man gave the younger man just a bit of wisdom in the situation.

I don’t know what’s going on between them or their past, but what I do know is that I just saw two men walk beside each other for approximately 2 minutes and it was unexpected, and encouraging, and beautiful.

Walking beside one another.

I hope that I find older women who want to walk beside me, even if only for a few moments (I have found a few in the past, and they were/are such a huge blessing).  I hope that when I am older, I have wisdom to offer younger ladies when I walk beside them.

I hope that no matter who I walk along side, they leave thinking that it was a good walk.  That they were blessed (because I want to be an expert blesser…more on that later).  That they found a little more of Jesus for themselves through me.  That they were encouraged, and challeneged, and loved well.