Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I get together with two of my friends, one old, one new, to have lunch over here at the food court on campus.
One thing I've really enjoyed about this little gathering is how I'm able to really get inside the mindset of other people and hear their points of view. I recognize that, for some time now, I've had a vaguely closed mindset because I haven't really given myself too much opportunity to actually listen to and consider other people's perspectives. Without meaning to, I locked away my understanding in a box for a few months and didn't give it any food or light to help it grow. Now that I'm going out and seeking other people's perspectives, some of which I agree with, some of which I don't, my understanding is growing again, and I'm seeing an increase in the amount of love I feel for everyone.
Of course, I'm not perfect. My RA friends and I went out on a double date to a little restaurant called 'The Muse' out here in Provo. Our goal was to enjoy the performances put on by Provo locals, and all of them, in their own, special way, brought us entertainment. However, some of the acts were a little more ... ah ... raw, than others, and I found myself dwelling on that and that alone.
Not my friends, however. The other members of our party were downright thrilled by the genuineness of the performers, even expressing excitement and appreciation for the rawness and how it perfectly illustrated how different and unique we, as God's children, can be. I was surprised by their reactions, but recognized how much love they had for the people behind the acts. My friends had a sincere love and appreciation for those strangers, while I found myself regretting that my focus had been on the rawness itself. My friends had a beautiful mentality, and I'm grateful I was able to glimpse it and begin the process of incorporating it into my own. Thank you, guys.
I wrote a commentary about this post on April 16, 2015. Click here to read!
No comments:
Post a Comment