Unselfishness

So, today I've been in thought about something.

(And for those of you wondering, we DID have school today. Yesterday was a snow day, and today wasn't!)

Do you ever have someone on your mind and you can't seem to shake it? Get your mind outta the gutter, not like that! I mean, someone you don't even see or talk to anymore just kind of appears in your head and you can't seem to shake it?

I have thought about my former pastor's wife today. I will call her WiseWoman for the sake of the blog. I try to protect the innocent as much as I possibly can on here! :-) Wisewoman is an incredible lady who I have a deep amount of respect for. She has a difficult job, I think. Or at least I think it's difficult at times. I know we all have hard days here and there, but I have thought a lot about her ministry.

When I was at that church A LOT of people asked her for advice. And, she is a very wise lady who is a very strong woman of God. However, I noticed something while I was there...not a whole lot of people really got to know her. Her family did, of course, and a lot of her family and extended family go to that church, but outside of that a lot of people really wondered how she was doing. Perhaps there were, and I just never saw it. To be honest, I really hope that was the case. I hope there were people who were able to reach out to her and be her friend. I tried, but feel I probably was one who took more than I gave to her.

Yesterday I listened to someone talk to her for 20 minutes, and she just talked and talked and talked about herself. She never inquired how Wisewoman was doing. It occurred to me after she hung up from that chat that it was her Birthday, and never once did that other person tell her Happy Birthday. That seems very, very sad to me.

It has really made me think today about how much I give and take in my relationships. Some relationships I find myself giving all the time, with very little sharing from my end. And then there are others, like Laura, who it's a two-way friendship where we both share and pray for one another. I like that. And, to be really honest, I know there are a couple people who primarily minister to me. And, it isn't that I haven't tried to make those relationships more two-sided, it's just that sometimes it seems like it's pulling teeth to get those people to share. They've been hurt, or wounded, or I think sometimes they are just called by God to be there for me.

As you can tell, it has definately made me think a lot.

I really hope I give and take equally in the relationships I'm in.

I don't want to be selfish. I want to be a giver as well as a receiver.

I'll keep ya posted on how well I'm doing in this little corner of my world.

By the way, I'm sending Wisewoman a belated Birthday card tomorrow. :-)

Later!