My Why and How

“If you want to know what water is, don’t ask the fish.” David Foster Wallace

Wallace explains how a fish doesn’t know anything other than water because it doesn’t have any other outside experience. Like a fish much of my life growing up I’ve lived in water. I have taken in things from today’s culture I see as “normal” and I often forget what surrounds me is only “normal” because it’s all I am use to. The environment I have lived in most of my life is water and I want to leave that water and set aside the culture norms.

Wallace shares how the most evident realities are many of the times the ones that are the hardest to see and talk about. As I go to these countries I believe I will see and experience two kinds of lenses; both beautiful and hard. When I see God working in peoples lives through both of these lenses, that is when hard conversations don’t have to be as hard to see and talk about anymore. I pray every day when I’m gone God will give me the strength to refresh my mind in these 3 ways.

1. I want to have a heart that listens. A friend of mine told me once that if you don’t know what to say, the best thing you can do is just listen. Because people love to talk about themselves. I want to listen to people no matter what it’s about. I want to have a voice that is willing to be silent at times to allow those who might never been heard before.

2. I want to learn how to empathize with others more. We all know it’s easier to empathize with people who are similar to us but I want to have the heart of Christ and love people who are very different from me. I want to love those who are hard to love. As humans we all desire to want to be understood and loved.

3. I want to have selfless compassion. I want to show a love to others that can never be diminished because of something they said or did. And that there is a grace that is always overflowing. Whether I’m having a great day, a challenging day, or a growing day, I want to be able to always show selfless compassion. Wherever I am, and in all circumstances.