A Time to Laugh - A Time to Weep

There is a season...

The church likes to call it Lent. The weather people call it springtime (it is official, btw!). The earthy types call it Spring Solstice - equal times of dark and light. Whatever you want to call it - there is a change. Change. Change....

I'm always surprised by the journey. Always surprised by the things I'm learning. It is exhausting, quite frankly taking in so much newness every day (or even every few days). I think I'm using that as an excuse to not finish all the reading I am assigned to do for each class. ;)

But honestly, I think this season gives an amazing opportunity to take a step back and take stock of who you are and what is going on around you. Some days I am so completely taken up by my to do list. Others, I stop and realize that this is just for a time and that really it is about the people around me. Living. Breathing. Walking. Talking. Smiling. Crying. Dying.

So while I don't have gifts that allow me to get up at 6am to go for a lil' jog or to prepare culinary delights, I realize that I have a passion for PEOPLE. So when I get depressed about turning inward and examining myself, it isn't so much that I hate being with myself... it is that I like being with people. I'm such an odd blend of introvert and extrovert. I've said recently that I'm an introvert who really likes people. I think that speaks to it. True, I get tired of people and need "Alison time," but oh my goodness how I love people, too.

Take for example my Worship class right now. My teacher is AMAZING. Has such a beautiful passion that it is palpable. You can feel it. Catch the wave of it. Get energized to stand up and go forth and start serving - NOW. He has an amazing gift and I am SO thankful that he decided to teach (he's been serving as a pastor). But more than that, it is his passion that overwhelms everything. He doesn't have some kind of AGENDA about holding our hands or doing something a particular way. This is because he's passionate about the important things...

What I mean is, there are some people who have decided their mission is to make sure you are completely convinced that you should read the gospel while looking at the congregation. They'll have some sort of scriptural source and tons of theologians backing up what they say. You'll have some other chick, though, who has decided that when she looks at the congregation, they'll see HER instead of hearing the WORD (and that's not good!). So she looks down and reads more or less without emotion - simply reciting the text for all to hear. She is convinced THIS is the correct way. Then again, so were the first people.

Ridiculous, right? Both ways work in different situations for different reasons and both have founded support. Get over yourselves and get back to Christ.

What was I saying? Oh, yes, my professor is amazing. Passionate. Gifted. And I hope I have that passion for God's people even if I don't have a passion to cook, play basketball, read history, etc, etc.

So that's what this season has been teaching me. What's it been teaching you?