November 3rd - Enjoying "We"

The story...

Those Amber-Vision glasses were great.  The tinted lenses seemed to make the environment: clearer, more vibrant, exciting, and pleasant too,  It was like insight into a better life.  But, you couldn't always wear them.  They weren't always there when I wanted them.  They didn't fit quite as good as they aged.  The positive effects were less noticeable as time passed.  And, they were eventually lost or replaced.

What if we had glasses that filtered out our random thoughts, pre-judgements, biases, rules, fears, and worries?  I wonder what we might sense, better understand, imagine, and experience.  How would the group look - might we feel more like "we" instead of "me" and "them?"

Scripture says that the Holy Spirit actually indwells those who've placed their faith and trust in the great saving work of their Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.  That means that God is present within many of those imperfect, odd, clunky, and slowing maturing people within the only church in town.  Maybe we wouldn't have to "put up" with people if we tuned into the reality of the Spirit of God in both us and others.  Whoa!  I wanna look through those lenses again.

Just for today...

"Detach from the problem, but not from the person . . . Detachment motivated by love can shield us from needles pain and set the stage for a truly rewarding relationship." One Day at a Time (p. 308)

"...when any member regularly dominates the sharing and meetings, the group suffers."  Courage to Change (p. 308)

"Oh to see; Who I am - I'd know; Whence I came."     Am I a Poet?

March 18th - Groupthink versus Truth

The story...

Solomon Asch conducted a conformity experiment to test the phenomena that's often referred to as groupthink.  In this study, only 25% of the participants would not go along with group consensus when evaluating which line length was a match.  

Reference & Comparison Card Pair - Wikipedia 5/18/24

Personally, I've often experienced the pain of being in that quartile who maintained their integrity when the group's going the other way - "it's just the way I am."  I assume that when the issues are more complex, than assessing the length of lines, the percentage decreases significantly.  Groupthink often results in people going where they don't wanna go - maybe nobody.

Within the only church in town, I hope that God's revealed Word would be the standard for measuring line length.  And, I hope that the grace, love and mercy offered by God, to us in Christ, would be extended amongst community members - freedom from the tyrannical rule of self.  Then, people might have a solid rock foundation for measuring truth - working out a life of integrity, characterized by love, amongst all their groups.

Just for today...

"I can lower my expectations of others and myself, and choose to be happy with progress rather than perfection."  Hope for Today (p. 78)

"I've spent so much time and energy trying to help those who didn't want it, that the opportunity  to make a welcome contribution to someone else's well being is precious to me." Courage to Change (p. 78)

"I will not look for a scapegoat to excuse my own faults."  One Day at a Time (p. 78)

"We must be true inside, true to ourselves, before we can know a truth that is outside us."  No Man Is an Island - Thomas Merton

"Honestly wrong; Open to Change - Still okay; Growing up."   Am I a Poet?

January 15th - Protect by worrying in advance? Really?

The story...

There's a news show on TV and people I care about are "kind of" watching it.  The broadcaster is tainting the news coverage in a way that seems partial and unfair to me.  I quickly interrupt the coverage, from another room, to bring attention to the bias.  I don't want them to be misguided and swayed to think like the crowd.  I certainly don't want to have future arguments with them about the subjects.   Why do I resist "allowing" them to have the freedom to be themselves?  Are they capable of wading through the partial truths and popular opinions?  Yes, I've tried to guide their thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs.   Might my underlying motive be to push them to thank and be more like me? 

My actions do suggest that they aren't capable of living out, or interpreting, their lives without me.  I expect that they know this and often liken my interfering voice as a clanging gong or loud droning sound.   They  probably wish I'd respectfully let them be - think and live on their own.  I might be exaggerating to make the blog more interesting; but, I know it's been true and am thankful I've been growing to be more okay with me and others too.

Are you trying to get somebody to behave in a way to help you?  If so, that should be a glaring red "stop" light.

Within the only church in town, there'll be popular opinion and campaigns to push congregants to agree with...   A primary function of the church is to clearly preach, teach, and work out the Word of God into the actualities of our lives.  Other times, there'll be "righteous" noises that divide, drive strong emotions, and end up with more guarded, separated, and lonelier people.  When that becomes more the norm, it seems that their ears and hearts might not be as open to receive the Word of God - that'd be tragic.

Just for today...

"I was busy projecting a horrible outcome to my loved one's crisis and dreading the ways in which the consequences might affect me . . . Part of me gambles that by worrying in advance, bad news will be easier to face if it comes.  But worrying will not protect me from the future."  Courage to Change (p. 15)

"Admired life; Esteemed way - They're mine; Hope much."
"Trouble weighs; Ain't best - Sanctifying suffering; Being His."   Am I a Poet?