When Fun Is Work

It's funny.  I always thought that by the time I reached the age and stage of life I now am that I would have things figured out.  Or that I would at least have myself figured out.  Not so!  I'm still learning so much about God, about the world around me, and even about how I am wired.

Last night I finally realized something.  Sometimes what seems like fun for Paul seems like work for me.  No wonder we don't understand each other sometimes!  Yesterday Paul casually mentioned the possibility of eating out with a family he's trying to get more connected to Jesus and to The City Church.  To him, this sounded like something easy and fun.  But to me it is work.  

Having dinner with some established friends would be fun, and I would be up for that on the spur of the moment almost any time.  But meeting with people I don't know, particularly people with whom I seem to have little in common (at least on the surface) is hard for me.  I want them to have a good impression of me, of our church, of Jesus, so I spend way more time than I should worrying about what to say, how to say it, whether they like me, etc.  

That's not really a good quality.  But it is where I'm at right now.  Now that I've identified this, maybe I can seek God's healing for my insecurity in this area.  But I think that I am always going to have to work harder at initiating conversations and meeting new people than Paul does.  Barring a supernatural change from God, I'm never going to get to know people as easily as Paul does.  It's always going to be at least a little more work for me. 

I don't know that either of us has made that connection before.  I think it's the opposite of shopping.  Shopping is fun for me but is work for Paul, even when he's shopping for himself with a gift card from someone else.  (That is so much fun for me!)  And just like he doesn't always want to go on a spur-of-the moment shopping trip after a long week of work, I don't look forward to the surprise of more work at the end of my week.  That doesn't mean I shouldn't do it.  Some of the best things in life are hard work!  And Paul has been very gracious about going shopping with me even when he's tired.   


I pray that God would make getting to know people more fun than work for me, and that He would help Paul understand that any initial hesitation on my part isn't just stubbornness or uncaring, but is often just tiredness!

Comfort-Able

One of the things that concerns me about venturing out to minister to people who are very different from be is that we won't be able to relate to one another.  I have lived a very sheltered, good-two-shoes kind of life.  And, frankly, sometimes I am shocked by the stuff that goes on in the world.  (I try not to let my shock show, but it's definitely there.)

So I wonder how I'll be able to help someone who has a drug addiction when I've never even seen an illegal drug!  How can I encourage someone who is living in the midst of the party scene when I've never even been to that kind of party?   Will they listen to me?  (Just like I might not listen to parenting help from a person who's never had children.)

God knows my concerns.  And this week I read in 2 Cor. 1:4 that God comforts me in my troubles so I can share His comfort with others in ANY kind of trouble!  ALL kinds of troubles!  I looked up the definition for the Greek word for all or any in that verse.  Here's what I learned:  the Greek word pas means, "any, all, every kind of."  So God's comfort to me translates into comfort for people in any and every kind of trouble.  I am not limited to sharing God's comfort only with those whose afflictions mirror my own!  Praise God!  When I am being led by my Father, He can use me to share His comfort with someone totally different from me who has experienced troubles I can't even imagine.  Because it's not about my troubles; it's about my God!  It's not about my own ability to sympathize or comfort others; it's about allowing His comfort to flow through me.  He longs to comfort all of us.  And He can use any of us who are willing to do just that.

 Who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2Cor. 1:4 NASB