Black Feathers Don’t Taste Good!

I’ve been blogging, I think, for about 3 weeks.  I am sure that I have messed up more than once, but this week I really messed up.  In many ways blogging is about conversation.  Just two weeks ago I taught a workshop about how to have conversations with people that can really let the Holy Spirit do whatever he wants to do through those conversations with other people.  Well, I didn’t do such a great job at adhering to my own teachings this week.

 So, I think this falls into the “do as I say, don’t do as I do category.”  It’s important to make sure that most of our lives don’t fall into that category, but alas, my imperfections catch up with me pretty darn regularly 🙂

At any rate, I was reading posts and responded to a certain post.  My intent was to provide some support and encouragement because I really hated reading about what had happened to someone in this particular case.  But – as well intentioned as I was – that’s not what I did.  I ended up on a soap box about a distantly related (maybe not really related at all) issue and came off looking like a total jackass.  I went back and reread my comments ,as well intentioned as they all were, they were a mess.  Sometimes – as they say – the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

What disturbs me most about this is that I misrepresented myself and worst of all, I think I misrepresented Jesus and the Church.  And I just don’t like doing that!  As a matter of fact, I hate doing that.

But, in the spirit of trying to learn I took the other blogger’s really salient comments into consideration AND then sought out some wisdom from God.

Here’s what I learned . . . (and the sad thing is it’s all stuff I know and just didn’t practice!)

1.  Never jump onto your soapbox.  If you want to talk to someone and respect who they are and what happened to them, find out what happened first and probably stay off of your soap box altogether.

2.  Don’t presume anyone needs or wants your advice.  Give it only when it’s requested or seems totally, absolutely necessary.

3.  It’s far better to ask questions that will teach you something than to say things in an effort to teach someone something they may not want or need to know.  I think this might be one of the reasons Jesus asked so many questions.  Questions allow for mutual learning and not just a one-way discourse.

4.  Take time to find out if you should say anything at all.  This is as simple as saying, “should I take time to respond here.”  I am crazy enough to believe that the Holy Spirit gives us answers to those sorts of questions (and that we should listen to his instruction) and I’m also crazy enough to believe that it’s not my job to “convert” everyone I come into contact with.  Really, God is bigger than any one individual and he is especially bigger than me.

5.  Finally, when you do mess up examine what you did, apologize and move on.  This particular post is by way of an apology should that other blogger ever take notice of it.  There are times to eat your crow, confess your mistakes and get on with the rest of life.

One last thing.  I am not perfect.  Pastor or no pastor.  Ordination or no ordination.  I am not perfect.  My pants go on in the morning just the same way everyone else’s go on.  I use the toilet the same way and fret about bills and worry about my kids just like everyone else.  My life has its up and its downs; its good points and its bad points.  Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I don’t get it so right and at other times I get it flat out wrong.  In this case I got it flat out wrong and so it’s important that I say that:  I was wrong and I apologize.

 Wow!  Black feathers don’t taste good, but they are chocked full of educational-spiritual-nutritional value!

I’m off to vacaction for a few days early next week with my family so the rest of this week will be given to wrapping up preparations for the next two Sundays, cleaning house and getting the old truck ready for the trip.  Be back to the blogosphere on Thursday!

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