Engage

We are two thirds of the way through a three month course that my husband is required to take for his next job.  That means we moved about two months ago and we're about to move (again) in less than a month.  My heart was dreading this move.... I left a fantastic community of folks with whom I have some rich relationships and three months is not an ideal amount of time for us (my kids included) to make new friends.  It's one thing to meet someone you like....it's another thing to have time to nurture that relationship.

God has been challenging me, though, to still get 'out there' and meet folks.  Talk to the other moms who are waiting with me during dance class, chat it up with the check out lady, invite someone over for dinner, etc.  Sure, chances are I won't find another lifelong friendship in our short stint here (again....relationships just plain 'ol take time), but I'm convinced that God wants us to be engaged with the world around us.  He showed us this in Jesus' life on earth.  Jesus engaged with humanity...in such a real way.  Even with people we probably wouldn't like.

That's so different from how I tend to react to things I don't like.  I've noticed this in my parenting...to be quite frank, I don't really like barbie dolls and all the princess stuff (go figure, we have three girls! and they'll ALL be in highschool at the same time someday!).  I never had it growing up and just don't see a need for it now.  and I want to shelter them from so many things that I think they represent....warped sense of body image, choice of clothing, etc (just my opinion).  But have you noticed princess stuff is EVERYWHERE?  It's really, really hard to avoid.  In some sense, to some degree, I've avoided engaging in the part of the world that my little girls live in that revolves around all things princess.  It's time to change that.

Christ's example for us on earth was not to run away or avoid things we don't like.  He engaged in society....even parts and people of society that we're SO wrong.  Actually, ESPECIALLY those.  He tackled some awkward moments and engaged them head on... he TOUCHED the leper, he conversed with a Samaritan - a woman, no less, he ate with a tax collector, the list could go on and on.  And that's when lives were changed.  Forever.

As christians, when we choose to engage this world, even the parts that may offend us or that we simply don't really like, we open the door for Christ's amazing grace to transform lives.  Sure, He can change lives with or without us.  He doesn't need us.  But when we choose to engage in this world He created - the good, the bad and the ugly, we get to be that much more a part of His work.  I just hope there aren't barbie dolls in heaven!