I was reading Donald Miller's blog this morning (he's one of my all-time favorite authors, who wrote Blue Like Jazz among others) and the following quote really hit me..
"I heard an interview a long time ago with the folk singer David Wilcox, in which Wilcox was asked how he managed to be so vulnerable and open in his songwriting. Wilcox answered that, when he sits down to write a song, he tries to share something he is afraid to share, something that, to him, might be embarrassing. He does this, he said, because in giving the audience something they can use against him, they create a trusting relationship. It’s as though he is taking his pistol out and handing it to the person across the table.
"I’ve applied this technique to my writing, and it is scary stuff, but it’s true, it does create a trusting relationship with your audience. 1 out of 100 people use it against you, and it does in fact hurt, but it’s worth the other 99 relationships that are authentic from the beginning."
After reading this quote I realized that many times I don't share what I'm really feeling or thinking - whether it's on my blog or my twitter or my facebook or even from the pulpit - because I guess I'm a little afraid of what others might do with that information. It's tough to be truly transparent. It's risky. I can do that with those closest to me, with those I've learned to deeply trust. But with others it's not quite so easy. Granted, Jesus had differing levels of intimacy. There were things he showed, taught, entrusted with James and John and Peter that he didn't with the multitudes, or even the other 9 disciples. And yet, he offered an amazing level of transparency even in large crowds. I guess when you know ahead of time that people are going to reject you it makes it easier to be open and honest on the front end?
Well, I guess I'll endeavor to be more transparent as I go forward... it might not do much for anyone else, but maybe it's what God is wanting to teach me for now.
I don't know that anyone other than a pastor will really appreciate this post, but wow, yesterday was one of those days. Before church started we couldn't get any of the videos to work. The computer kept crashing, sound issues, etc.
Then I downloaded the wrong OnePrayer video (if you're not familiar with OnePrayer, check it out at 2009.oneprayer.com). As Craig Groeschel came on screen he says, "Happy Father's Day!!" My wife leaned over and said, "Oh, Carter... I'm so sorry. I didn't know today was father's day. I didn't plan anything!" I told her, "It's not." Then Craig proceeded to say things like, "Since it's father's day..." about 8 times, just to rub it in.
But, what I've found is that on days like yesterday is when God really shines. The baby dedications were so sweet, and I actually (not knowing it was a Father's Day message) felt like I was supposed to show the God is Father video, even though I thought I had already downloaded the God is Love video. I really felt that someone(s) needed to hear the God is Father message, and it was very powerful.
So, today I am choosing to rest in the reality that in my weakness God is shown strong, and even in the worst of situations, God can redeem and use the biggest mistakes. Speaking of God is... God is good!
Alright, you have to go with me here... let that familiar Sesame Street tune play in your head... "Which one of these are not like the others, which one of these isn't the same." You probably recognize Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, and... wait a minute... who's that guy on the end? Yeah, he's a movie star, too. Well, maybe not a star, but he's an actor. He's an extra. He's been in movies.
Recently Paige and I were sitting in an airport waiting for a plane. As I looked around me watching the sea of humanity rolling by, wave after wave, it hit me. Any one of these people could be a movie star. Not that they all looked like Jennifer Anniston or Tom Cruise, but they all could easily have been in movies.
Have you ever met anyone famous? Years ago Paige and I were sitting at the bar of a Dallas mexican restaurant waiting for a table when a minor commotion started swirling around us. I realized that Troy Aikman (in his prime) was standing directly behind Paige. I've seen, bumped into, and met a few famous people here and there. There's always a little bit of rush when it happens. People will sit around and watch a tv show that's nothing more than gossip and stories of famous people's lives. But, what if we treated everyone in our lives like a movie star?
Last week I attended one of the most (perhaps the most) inspiring funerals I've ever experienced. As we reflected on the life and accomplishments of Will Pufall, mourning a beautiful life cut way too short, but celebrating the amazing fruit produced by a young man in only 39 years, I had two overriding thoughts. The first was that I hoped I was living my life with the consistency and integrity that marked Will's life. The second was that I wished I could have gotten to know the quiet and private Will Pufall so much better. He and I were friends, had some opportunities to hang out in the past, but I had never gotten the opportunity to delve below the surface with Will and really get to know him. And I regret that. He was an incredible guy with so much to offer, so much I could have learned, so many ways my life could have been better had I been able to spend more time with him.
The reality is we're surrounded by Will Pufalls. Amazing men and women who could sharpen us, challenge us, encourage us, make us laugh, if we spent the time to really get to know them. The truth is, we're all movie stars... everyone is worth knowing... each and every person has something to offer. Don't regret one day not taking the time to get deep with someone that you know: that person next door, that person that works next to you, even that person that seems to rub you wrong, annoy you, drive you nuts. Just tell yourself... everyone's a movie star.
Paige and I recently returned from our cruise to the Caribbean (the one I won on Wheel of Fortune three years ago, and just now took... but that's another story for another blog post). On the trip we met four new friends from Milan, Italy. Gianpiero is the oldest at 33 years old. He's kind of the father figure of the group. He works in the research and development department of a major corporation (hearquartered out of Ohio, oddly enough.) He's even, very fun-loving, but very steady. Then there's Andrea. He's 31 and an attorney. He's crazy under the right circumstances, but personality-wise he's extremely quiet and reserved. The polar opposite of Andrea is Nadia. She's 27 and crazy-outgoing off the charts. She is a bookkeeper for a company in Milan. Finally, Roberta is 19 and a university student. She's not as quiet as Andrea, but not nearly as outgoing as Nadia.
The four friends met when they all went through training together to be volunteer assistants for weekend ambulance calls. They now hang out together, eat together a couple of times a week, and even vacation together once or twice a year. They are all different ages, have different jobs, different backgrounds, very different personalities... but they are there for one another. They help each other out, they encourage one another, each one makes the lives of the others better. They are friends. They are a beautiful picture of community.
At some point on the cruise it seemed that a couple of them had a bit of a spat. They seemed to be upset with each other about something (how couldn't they after traveling together, being together all day long, every day for a week?) But that didn't end their friendship. They didn't write each other off. They didn't leave the group and go find a new set of friends. They were committed to each other.
There's a lesson in there somewhere, don't you think? Unfortunately, one the church needs to learn as much as anyone...
