Today was a day where we listened and responded to stories.
We shared good memories and how our needs were met AND the places of disappointment, struggle, abandonment or abuse.
This is what I know at the end of today….
All of our stories have aspects that were BOTH good AND aspects that were very painful….
All of our stories have people who loved us well AND people who failed us….
All of our stories have places in them that speak to God’s presence AND there are places where we feared that God was absent. (We remind one another that our feelings do not define truth and God was present even when we feared Him absent)
It was a day where we shared pain AND joy, laughter AND tears, deep ache AND celebration and community.
Today was a day where I was reminded again that most often life does not support either/or thinking. I realized again today that the journey of life is much more about a both/and way of thinking.
I can experience BOTH great joy AND deep sorrow in response to my own story and the stories of others….
I can enjoy BOTH the truth I know about God AND struggle with why God allows pain to be so real in our lives…
I can feel BOTH the enjoyment of trusting God’s plan for my life AND wonder what God has for me in the days ahead….
I am much more at peace with both/and thinking than either/or thinking….I wonder which way you tend to think. If you’re an either/or thinker, consider how you might find opportunities for both/and….
If you’re a both/and thinker, delight in all the options God offers us to feel and experience a multitude of emotions and experiences….
It was a long day but a day I enjoyed both offering my heart and being cared for.
