It’s very easy to go with the flow but doing so can cause us to miss out on some great relationships.
I walked into a situation that had existed for years. No one really understood why things were the way they were, but they noted it, accepted it, and went with the flow: disregarding, ignoring, disrespecting, sidelining, etc.
I questioned the situation internally and observed, observed, observed. That wasn’t how I was “raised” spiritually so I just couldn’t feel at ease with the whole thing. Eventually, it reached the magnitude of becoming a burden.
In small ways, I started trying to reach out and be more inclusive. That’s not really all that important in the whole scheme of things. The most important and productive thing I did was to pray.
I sat in my office one morning praying about the situation and a wave of deep pain and sorrow swept over me. Uncontrollable gut-wrenching sobs began to flow. It wasn’t my pain and sorrow. It belonged to the person I was lifting up in prayer. Then, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was a narrative different from the one being told and inferred about the person.
I’m so glad I pushed past the status quo and whole-heartedly embraced this individual. Their down-to-earth goodness has been a tremendous blessing to me. Many times, when I am having a valley moment, a phone call from them—which always includes laughter—lifts me up.
If I’d taken the paint brush handed to me when I walked into that situation and just added another coat to the individual, I would’ve missed out on a great friendship.
