Growth Part I
This past weekend we took some of the parents of the kids I work with to the camp that their kids attend each summer. The camp has been putting on this parents retreat for the past few years, and we were finally able to get some of our parents to attend.
I came a way with a lot of thoughts. The dominant one however, is that I really love, appreciate and respect my wife.
A lot of people are nice. A lot of people say they want to break down social walls. A lot of people talk about how into justice they are. Stacy doesn't say those things very often. She's just not the prophetic voice that is always out front bringing attention to issues.
(Side note: I realized last night that I could never run for President. I watched Cindy McCain sit there with the camera on her every 30 seconds, and remembered how prominent a role Michelle Obama played in the DNC last week, and I thought about how that much attention would be pure hell for Stacy. So we'll just scratch "The Presidency" off of my list of goals)
What Stacy does have is a fearless and passionate heart for others. Especially those who are caught in systems of injustice. She is passionate to the point where she lives life as God has called her to live it, which has quickly thrust her to exist in society's margins. It's not an easy calling, especially when you are part of the dominant culture and the calling leads you to the role of minority.
At this parents retreat, everyone was black. With the exception of maybe 8 white people and two Hispanic people. And yet, Stacy was completely herself. The girl who grew up in a rural white community just hung out and had the confidence to gracefully be herself even though she was being immersed in experiences that were pretty new to her. She experienced "black church" twice each day. She hung out in a culture that is far more expressive than the one's she usually exists in. She got to meet women with amazing stories about love of family and perseverance that she otherwise would not have had the opportunity to hear. And she did it all coming off of an awesome 30-hour shift at the hospital.
So, I love my wife. It's cool to see how God has made her bold enough to do things that completely flip the script and that a lot of other people just aren't willing to do. And it's good for me to see what it looks like to live justice and reconciliation while saying very little.
Fair Dinkum
I came a way with a lot of thoughts. The dominant one however, is that I really love, appreciate and respect my wife.
A lot of people are nice. A lot of people say they want to break down social walls. A lot of people talk about how into justice they are. Stacy doesn't say those things very often. She's just not the prophetic voice that is always out front bringing attention to issues.
(Side note: I realized last night that I could never run for President. I watched Cindy McCain sit there with the camera on her every 30 seconds, and remembered how prominent a role Michelle Obama played in the DNC last week, and I thought about how that much attention would be pure hell for Stacy. So we'll just scratch "The Presidency" off of my list of goals)
What Stacy does have is a fearless and passionate heart for others. Especially those who are caught in systems of injustice. She is passionate to the point where she lives life as God has called her to live it, which has quickly thrust her to exist in society's margins. It's not an easy calling, especially when you are part of the dominant culture and the calling leads you to the role of minority.
At this parents retreat, everyone was black. With the exception of maybe 8 white people and two Hispanic people. And yet, Stacy was completely herself. The girl who grew up in a rural white community just hung out and had the confidence to gracefully be herself even though she was being immersed in experiences that were pretty new to her. She experienced "black church" twice each day. She hung out in a culture that is far more expressive than the one's she usually exists in. She got to meet women with amazing stories about love of family and perseverance that she otherwise would not have had the opportunity to hear. And she did it all coming off of an awesome 30-hour shift at the hospital.
So, I love my wife. It's cool to see how God has made her bold enough to do things that completely flip the script and that a lot of other people just aren't willing to do. And it's good for me to see what it looks like to live justice and reconciliation while saying very little.
Fair Dinkum