The other day, a missionary told me he thought starting out a blog by saying "As a missionary..." was boring and uninteresting.... I'm about to be boring and uninteresting!
As a missionary we talk to a lot of people every day. Sometimes it can be very awkward. If you've ever felt awkward talking to missionaries like me on the street, just know the feeling was probably mutual. But I like the saying "delight in awkwardness" -it's going to happen, so just deal with it, right? Okay, maybe it's not always awkward, in fact that's what I felt like sharing today.
I don't care for awkwardness, but when I first meet someone, it seems there's a little switch that goes off in my head, turning me into "awkward mode." I was thinking about it the other night before going to bed, how strange that little switch is, and how to turn it off. Here's what I came up with. If we realize that we are all beloved children of God, then we are all brothers and sisters, and if I can see everyone who is walking down the street the way I see my immediate family then all of the sudden I become much more relaxed. I'm less afraid to be myself and more interested in the person I'm talking with. Instead of thinking "what am I going to say?" it turns into, "hey! There's my brother, let's go see how he's doing! I'm so happy to see him!" When people say mean things it doesn't hurt as much, and I still want the best for them. Just like if I were a little kid and got in a fight with my sister- we'd be best friends ten minutes later. It's awesome!
What helps you get out of awkward mode?
I just want to tell you that I'm new to the church and I love reading your posts! I love it when you can apply the gospel to average daily things. A friend and I were actually talking about this the other day! I used to get so MAD at people. very short tempered. :) one time i was arguing with the missionaries, and they stopped me and asked me what i wanted in life, i thought for a moment and told them i didnt want to be hateful. i found that as I was reading the scriptures, even though at first i was skeptical and unbelieving, i found more love and patience with people because I began to see everyone as my brothers and sisters, even though they may not know it, and they may not understand or care to understand the gospel, but we are still children of Heavenly Father!
ReplyDelete"...as you increase in innocence and virtue, as you increase in goodness, let your hearts expand, let them be enlarged towards others; you must be long-suffering, and bear with the faults and errors of mankind. How precious are the souls of men!..." - Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:Joseph Smith p.428
Thank you for your comment Holly! That was very touching to me, and I appreciate your encouragement and kindness! You're absolutley right, too, that the Gospel is so simple and can be applied to everyday things! That's really the reason it's there!
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