Friday, June 12, 2009

I wanna be a people person


Camp is officially planned!!  We as a staff have spent the last two weeks brainstorming, building, and organizing.  And let me tell ya - camp is going to ROCK and lives are going to be changed.  : )  I'm stoked.  We leave Sunday for our high school camp.

We have a devotion every day to start out right and on Thursday, we decided to try one of the quiet times that we had planned - "Java with Jesus."  Ha.  We went out to Caribou coffee (yum) and each split off to have some time just listening to the Lord.  The idea of this is to have a physical space where Jesus is sitting.  To make Him more real in your mind and to really focus on what He wants to say to you.  The handout includes different questions you can ask Jesus, my favorite being, "What do you think of me?"

So refreshing.  

At first, God just poured into me.  He's given me phrases in the past when I've needed encouragement.  Phrases that make me stop striving to be something when all I can be is myself.  

"Keep being you, for I made with hands of joy."

"Only the best deserves you."

Those things were just reiterated.  

I also felt how Christ was so utterly present with me.  If He had eyes (wait, does he?), they were on me the entire time.  But I could also feel myself getting distracted.  It happens easily and people intrigue me - I'm definitely a people watcher.  So I wasn't so present with Jesus.  It made me realize that I'm not as fully present with people as I'd like to be.  There are times I have a hard story just listening to people because I'm distracted by what's going on around us or by wondering who else is around.  Kinda sick, I know.  But if I'm passionate about something or someone, I have no problem just doing that thing or being with them.  Because I'm captivated.  

Basically - I want to change my own heart to be more passionate about people.  Even if I don't start a conversation or a chat very interested in someone, I believe that I can change my heart by really hearing what they're saying and taking an interest in that.  Ask questions.  Inquire.  Get excited.  Push myself to feel what they are feeling.  

After all, it's people that matter, right?

3 comments:

Jamie said...

Thanks for being so open and honest in this post. I think you are learning what needs to be learned. Keep it up!

Oh, and by the way, Jesus DOES have eyes. He ascended to the right hand of the Father in a physical (albeit glorified body), which He will keep for eternity.

Peace,
Jamie
www.missional.ca

Carrie said...

Hey thanks for clarifying!!

Question: Then how present is He is in His physical (but glorified) body with us? If Jesus is present with us, what's the role of the HS? I had always thought of the holy spirit as God's presence with us, His connection to us.

Jamie said...

As I understand it, we are unified as Christ's Body through the Holy Spirit. Thus, the spirit of Christ is with us always. Of course, Trinitarian theology is... a mystery!