I've been assigned the front seat in our class this week.
The speaker for the past several days wanted to use me as an example. He had me stand up. I was expecting the typical response when someone sees me standing close to them for the first time. It came.
His head went up, and back as he tried to match my eyes.
"Woah, you are a big boy aintcha!"
The class chuckled.
He asked me to shake his hand. Now I've been raised to shake hands with a firm grip. And that's what I did. He mentioned "you see Chad has a firm grip, it shows he's a manly man. It communicates in our greeting something."
"Now what if I did this?" he said,
he reached over, and we bumped and rubbed foreheads.
"Or this"
he held my hand and walked with me.
"Or this"
his hand briefly touched my palm.
"or this"
and we interlocked two knuckles and then snapped.
Apparently no snapping sound is the same as a weak handshake in America.
The class sort of laughed each time he did different things which may or may not have been embarrassing.
Honestly, the funny thing to me, was that none of it was embarrassing. In fact, for a while now I've been considering the fact that I feel often like hugging people, and the only reason I don't is because I feel it might make them uncomfortable to have a man my size, hug them.
It was a good class. Challenging, but good.
Before walking into this entire calling, I really felt as if I didn't have a lot of experience. I consider myself naive.
But my prayer to God during this training has been that He would help my heart and my head learn the things He has to teach me.
Each day, when I'm grappling with a hard issue or thought, an example from my life comes to mind, it jsut sort of pops in there, and I see it in a whole new light.
It is amazing to me, that a memory long since forgotten, can surface, to teach your heart the truth of something the teacher is trying to express. IT is doubly impressive when you realize you hadn't thought of that experience in that way before and you gain a new insight.
I boast in the Lord here, because it isn't mean recalling these memories but it is instead the Holy Spirit who brings these to mind, and it is very encouraging to know that God is taking a personal interest in our training in a daily way.
Take Care!
thanks again
