Side note (follow up to kitchen debacle note): I made a second batch of chicken spaghetti and it went much more quickly this time. I didn’t even dump the spaghetti noodles in the sink. And that evil garlic did not defeat me (thanks to my Aunt’s salt trick)!!!! Moi ha ha ha ha!!!!! 8-)
Ahem…
Last Sunday I talked about how being an extreme introvert played out in day to day life and how it created a lot of misunderstanding. Patricia (who has a very interesting website on business coaching for introverts at http://www.patricia-weber.com/) commented that we have to figure out what are strengths are and apply them.
Hmm…that ought to be easy, right? Not necessarily. I see myself as an apprentice at so many things. But wait! I am an expert on cave-dwelling, 21st century style!
But I guess that one isn’t what we’re after. 8-)
OK.
Strengths:
Genuinely interested in people, even if it doesn’t outwardly show.
Like to spend a lot of time pondering (anything – everything).
I’m rabid about searching out details on subjects I’m deeply interested in. Can do it for hours.
Love to do things for people behind the scenes (prayer comes to mind but also other ways I can give that fly under the radar).
Love for people to learn (about God, about life lessons, about writing, etc.)
Desire for children’s spiritual development (odd since I really don’t physically spend a lot of time in the presence of children.) But I see what happens to children who are not raised in the knowledge of or with respect for God and often times their lives turn to disaster. A godless home is the greatest disaster of civilization.
A desire to encourage others (this mainly comes out in encouraging other writers).
Hmmm…. For an apprentice, that’s not a bad starting list to work with. That list comes from the heart, and as I look it over, I see it ties to a spiritual gifts inventory I did that identified prophecy and teaching as my primary gifts. But before someone gets hung up on the word “prophecy” – understand that it has two meanings. One is telling forth, like the Old Testament prophets who told the people what God instructed them to say, often including what God was going to do. But the other definition for prophecy is “telling forth” – or truth telling, speaking out the truth. The Apostle Peter is a great example of a person who boldly tells forth. It’s that telling forth aspect of prophecy I’m thinking of.
But when I think of “telling forth”, to me that’s really an aspect of teaching, no matter what the actual setting in which you do it.
Now we’re getting somewhere! And wouldn’t you know – God has been working on me since last Sunday’s post because I found out that we’re going to be starting a TeamKids program at church. I think it’s the latest version of what used to be RA’s and GA’s back in the dark ages when I taught kids at church. 8-) I just got the names of the couple who is spear-heading this effort and hope to talk to them today about exactly how TeamKids works and what is needed.
I feel a little nervous about it. Back in the dark ages when I taught kids I was practically a kid myself. Now I’m a geezer. Will I be able to identify with them? Who knows? But God promises to give us what we need to carry out His work.
But maybe this is the right way to serve for me. I will investigate. Test the waters. See what happens. And report back.
Next Sunday, I’ll swing the introvert discussion back to – you guessed it – writing. In a climate when the writer has to do virtually all the work him or herself, how does an introvert cope?
That’s what I want to explore next week.
Have a blessed day!
Showing posts with label Introverts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Introverts. Show all posts
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Introverts Serving God: Part I
For the next few weeks, I want to try an experiment on my blog. Each Sunday, I’d like to post a little about the struggle of being an introvert and trying to serve God. These posts, unlike my blog in general will not be directly writing related, though they will certainly touch on the life of introverts who write.
This subject has been much on my mind for the last several months, and now especially, as last week I began a small group study of Experiencing God.
But let me lay some foundation here. First, I have observed that there are varying levels of introversion. Some are only mildly so, some are greatly so. What I find is that I seem to be more introverted then most introverts I know and it shows up in specific ways. To view it visually in your mind, if 1 was extremely introverted and 10 was mildly introverted, I’d rate myself about a 2-3.
How does that play out in my day to day life?
1. I go to work (in a work setting that is the worst possible environment for an introvert) and then go home to my cave and hide from the world (okay, well my dog is there, but NO ONE else!).
2. My extracurricular outings are limited to: grocery shopping, Wednesday and Sunday Church services, and once a month I have a writer’s group that meets locally. I hobnob with people only as much as I have to to get by. No parties, no other large people gatherings (I’m even uncomfortable in large family gatherings). That’s the same reason I rarely go to concerts and sports events – I’d like those things a lot more if there weren’t a bunch of people there. 8-).
3. It means I’m too shy to talk to people. I have naturally learned to project a “please don’t talk to me” persona which comes over me subconsciously in public places, like waiting at the bus stop, waiting in line, etc.
4. I’m lousy at small talk. And truth be told, since I limit my interactions with people to what is strictly necessary, small talk seems frivolous to my way of thinking.
How does it create misunderstanding?
1. People think I need to be “cured” of my introversion. I’m thrilled to be an introvert. If I could be Grizzly Adams living in a cabin by myself up in the high country, away from people, I would. The only bad part about being introverted is that most people can’t understand or misjudge quiet, introverted people. It’s just a sad fact of life.
2. It means I am frequently misunderstood. Why am I not as enthusiastic about pot lucks as my church family or my co-workers? Because to them, it’s FUN! Not to me. To me it’s a social ordeal to get through.
3. The other big misunderstanding is that people don’t think I care about them. That could not be further from the truth. I dread the meet and greet time on Sunday mornings. Sure, I smile and shake a few hands. But I mean a few. I don’t go running all over the church sanctuary trying to hug and shake hands with everybody there before the musical interlude runs out. But I deeply care about my church family and others. I just don’t feel the need to be verbose and effusive about it.
4. But the big misunderstanding is the one I’m struggling with most. God made me. He made me who I am. I did not suddenly become introverted. I have been this way from the beginning. Yet it seems like ministry opportunities are always for extroverts.
And that brings me to the specific topic I want to talk about next week – which is how DO I serve God as an introvert? In Experiencing God, we are told we need to find out where God is working and join Him. We have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone.
But in practical application, does that mean I have to stop being an introvert? To constantly be around people? I can’t think of a more miserable existence, nor one that causes me more conflict in my spiritual life.
But for now, if you are reading this blog, I’d like to know – do you consider yourself an introvert? How has that affected your service to God?
This subject has been much on my mind for the last several months, and now especially, as last week I began a small group study of Experiencing God.
But let me lay some foundation here. First, I have observed that there are varying levels of introversion. Some are only mildly so, some are greatly so. What I find is that I seem to be more introverted then most introverts I know and it shows up in specific ways. To view it visually in your mind, if 1 was extremely introverted and 10 was mildly introverted, I’d rate myself about a 2-3.
How does that play out in my day to day life?
1. I go to work (in a work setting that is the worst possible environment for an introvert) and then go home to my cave and hide from the world (okay, well my dog is there, but NO ONE else!).
2. My extracurricular outings are limited to: grocery shopping, Wednesday and Sunday Church services, and once a month I have a writer’s group that meets locally. I hobnob with people only as much as I have to to get by. No parties, no other large people gatherings (I’m even uncomfortable in large family gatherings). That’s the same reason I rarely go to concerts and sports events – I’d like those things a lot more if there weren’t a bunch of people there. 8-).
3. It means I’m too shy to talk to people. I have naturally learned to project a “please don’t talk to me” persona which comes over me subconsciously in public places, like waiting at the bus stop, waiting in line, etc.
4. I’m lousy at small talk. And truth be told, since I limit my interactions with people to what is strictly necessary, small talk seems frivolous to my way of thinking.
How does it create misunderstanding?
1. People think I need to be “cured” of my introversion. I’m thrilled to be an introvert. If I could be Grizzly Adams living in a cabin by myself up in the high country, away from people, I would. The only bad part about being introverted is that most people can’t understand or misjudge quiet, introverted people. It’s just a sad fact of life.
2. It means I am frequently misunderstood. Why am I not as enthusiastic about pot lucks as my church family or my co-workers? Because to them, it’s FUN! Not to me. To me it’s a social ordeal to get through.
3. The other big misunderstanding is that people don’t think I care about them. That could not be further from the truth. I dread the meet and greet time on Sunday mornings. Sure, I smile and shake a few hands. But I mean a few. I don’t go running all over the church sanctuary trying to hug and shake hands with everybody there before the musical interlude runs out. But I deeply care about my church family and others. I just don’t feel the need to be verbose and effusive about it.
4. But the big misunderstanding is the one I’m struggling with most. God made me. He made me who I am. I did not suddenly become introverted. I have been this way from the beginning. Yet it seems like ministry opportunities are always for extroverts.
And that brings me to the specific topic I want to talk about next week – which is how DO I serve God as an introvert? In Experiencing God, we are told we need to find out where God is working and join Him. We have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone.
But in practical application, does that mean I have to stop being an introvert? To constantly be around people? I can’t think of a more miserable existence, nor one that causes me more conflict in my spiritual life.
But for now, if you are reading this blog, I’d like to know – do you consider yourself an introvert? How has that affected your service to God?
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