Although my personal blog has suffered great neglect between the time I started it two years ago and my renewed commitment last month to actually post something on it, I’ve had plenty of exposure to listservs, blogs, webcasts, podcasts and now Twitter at work.
Creating content and writing for work comes easily to me, but as I tried to figure out what I wanted to write about my personal blog, I decided to start by reading the blogs of people I know. At first, I didn’t even realize most of them even had blogs until I saw them being “followed” by bloggers I knew of.
As I searched and read and searched and read, I came across the blog of someone I worship with – someone who has had a significant spiritual impact on my family – someone who was sighing in frustration in cyberspace and was met with digital silence. This brother in Christ (more like the favorite nephew you look forward to seeing at family get togethers, but really don’t know as well as you’d like) had blogged - nearly a year before I had stumbled upon it – about a frustration he was experiencing in his ministry at our church.
Convicted.
Not only were there no posted comments by other readers, but it occurred to me that his post was just about the same time he was probably having the most impact on our family through this ministry he was so frustrated with.
Where was I?
Not knowing he was discouraged or that he was venting about it on his blog is irrelevant. We were a beneficiary of his blessing and should have been an encourager in his life and reached out to show our appreciation.
It got me thinking about this cyber-comms medium and how easy it is to share of ourselves in a quasi-faceless format… is it diminishing our accountability to engage with actual people face-to-face? For me (and for my MBTI followers) I’m an INTJ, so it’s no great surprise to you that the introvert didn’t seek out someone they don’t truly know well to say “thank you for your ministry.” Yes, yes, my Myers-Briggs-“Type”-talkers, it’s not an excuse, merely an explanation.
I have expertly and successfully held myself accountable at work to exercise my non-preferences and “Extrovert” and “NF” at-will for the sake of corporate leadership… it’s time I held myself accountable outside the boardroom and break out of my “comfort zone” to serve the will of my Heavenly CEO and be the encourager in action that I am in my introverted thought-life.
So, Christian, today, let me (belatedly) bless you.
You are gifted and you are a gift. You are creative, strong and determined. Your leadership and your ministry have been instrumental in the spiritual transformation of many, but specifically to my family and no volume of belated thank-yous could equal the value and importance of your ministry in our lives and our church.
Lord, help me to reach out to others and be an encourager … beyond the post, but at least I’ll start here.
1 comment:
Wow, Lauren. Stephanie and I thank you. And please know that I think Derek and the Yost clan have taught me far more than I could ever teach him.
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