Posts Tagged ‘friendship’

Grace in Disagreement

June 22nd, 2008

Tonight I saw people holding the tension between differing ideas very graciously. I saw people differing in their ideas on something even so fundamental as what community should look and act like. I saw people openly sharing what they envisioned and what was on their heart instead of just keeping it to themselves because they weren’t technically in a “leadership” position or because they were afraid. I saw people allowing another person to think differently than them and not trying to coax or convince or fight until they changed the other persons mind – instead they allowed each other to simple share. I saw people really listening to each other and valuing each other’s view points. Tonight I saw people entering into a conversation together and allowing differences and disagreements to arise without love diminishing. And I was so pleased to be a part of it.

 “In a good friendship each member often feels humility towards the rest. He sees that they are splendid and counts himself lucky to be among them.”  - C.S. Lewis

Rejoicing in the journey -
Beth Stedman

Photograph by Beth Stedman

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Friendship and Confession…

February 22nd, 2008

Confession isn’t popular. People not only don’t like to do it, they don’t even really like to think about it or talk about it. One way I know this because I don’t like to do it or to think about it or talk about it (not to mention that the blog I previously wrote on confession is incredibly unpopular statistically, but I digress…)

Yesterday, a friend asked what my focus for this third week of lent was and I told her “friends or more generally focusing on my relationships with those the people I come in contact with.”Her response was something to the extent of asking what that will look like and asking “so will you be confessing to friends this week?” I was kind of taken back by the question… I hadn’t planned on it. I didn’t want to confess to friends. I think as I had been thinking about this week I had thought mostly about praying for people I know and for the strangers I pass by, about being open to God leading me to talk to someone I normally wouldn’t talk to or to listen to a friend who needs a listening ear. I had thought about focusing on being a good friend to my friends and to those I wouldn’t normally consider my friends. But, I had forgotten that being a good friend requires openness and honesty and being open and honest requires confession. And I had forgotten the other focus of Lent that God kept bringing up in my research… repairing brokenness.

Is there brokenness in my relationships with others (whether they are family members, friends, acquaintances, etc) that God wants me to confess and mend?

Lord, look for truth deep within my relationships and show me where I might need to confess to them and to you and repent and change the way I relate to others. In Jesus name. Amen.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Beth Stedman

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Week 3 of Lent… being a good friend… to all…

February 19th, 2008

So, for those of you who don’t know I decided to join my friends the Malouf’s in journeying through different areas/relationships through prayer during Lent. And so this week Tara writes about praying for, thinking about and noticing the “invisibles” around us. Those people that live in close proximity to us but maybe aren’t our friends or acquaintances. It’s a challenging idea and I encourage you to read more of her thoughts on her blog.

So, here’s where I am this week – week 3 of Lent… I think because I focused so intently on my marriage (a wonderfully rewarding discipline/focus) last week I feel like I would be missing something to jump right to praying for and focusing on brokenness in my relationship with the “invisibles”… I think I still need to pray for and focus on mending brokenness in my relationships with my friends and family. But, I was also really challenged by Tara’s thoughts on the invisible and I don’t want to miss out on that either. So, where does that leave me for week 3 of Lent? I think I am just going to focus very generally on praying for all those with whom I have contact this week. Focusing on what it means to be a friend to the invisibles and my friends alike. I will be asking God to repair brokenness in my relationships with those that I know intimately, with those that I know personally, and with those that I only come in contact with socially. For me this week will be a time to ask God to reveal people to me – reveal to me how I can befriend the friend at my side and the unknown “invisible” that I pass by on the street. I think sometimes those that I call “friend” can sometimes become just as invisible to me as those that I pass by on the street and choose to ignore.

One thing I would like to incorporate as a discipline and practice for this week is the Caim Prayer – or Celtic circling prayer. Tara wrote some about this concept here  and I have been thinking and reading a little bit about it as well. I want to approach my relationships and friendships this week with an intent awareness of God’s presence, asking Him to surround and encircle each that I come into contact with.

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Lord, may you use this week to shape me into a better friend to my friends, a better family member to my family, a better neighbor to the invisibles that I come in contact with. Change me, Lord, make me more like you. Help me to really see people this week and be aware of how to love them in ways that feel loving to them. In Jesus name. Amen.

Rejoicing in the journey –
Beth Stedman

Photograph by Beth Stedman

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