Reflections

     It's another gray day here, bit of a drizzling, low clouds thick on the horizon. I'm back at the library, a piece of small town Americana tucked into an Oregon river valley. My weekly errands done, Weight Watchers, bills paid, food shopping I am relaxing catching up on things I'm interested in.   Usually I come to my blog with a mind-set ready to attack a topic with a zest. Today, I'm sort of in a valley of my own. This week, I attended two days of training in Olympia on communications skills. It was interesting and the other people attending were interesting. Along with reviewing materials, we took a self-analysis of our personality/communication styles at work and home. Whoa that was kind of an eye-opener.

   Watching the scenarios play out as people grouped according to personality styles showed me in detail how conflicts can develop. People were open, frank about their feelings about style types. Role-playing revealed strengths and weaknesses of all types. The sum total of what I learned was that all people bring strength to the communication table. Some people bring defensiveness which adds to the load of other individuals. The key to maintaining the most peace is to operate from a point of not getting defensive. It's not a question of who is right, but who is committed to maintaining the most "de-stressed" position for all parties.

    In real life this isn't all that easy to implement as I've learned over the last few years. Throw in people who are unethical; manipulative and simply don't want to get along and things get sticky and unpleasant; and downright uncomfortable. Christ's admonition that 'love suffers long and is kind' - is impossible without His help. We are human, and we get our  feelings hurt. If we feel we are being attacked, or set up, anger enters in. 

    Sigh, it is an understatement to say that a great deal of suffering is created by words; honest and dishonest. If you throw in the factor of power and privilege the waters get even more muddied. 

    While in Olympia, I did sight-seeing on my lunch-hours. I hopped on the Dash bus and went down-town window shopping. Lots of little stores, yuppie kind of hippie stores with creative uses of color and art. Here and there eclectic places to eat or drink coffee. The first journey was mostly exploring, the peace and sanctity somewhat shattered by a homeless person coming out of an alley, disheveled, wet, yelling obscenities as everyone and no one in particular. He apparently wasn't much into the ultra-hip store scene but was more into the hell of his own existence.

   The next noon, I went to the capital building. I took a self-guided tour admiring the marble walls and floors; exquisite ceilings and furnishings. I wandered through the upper floors, looking into rooms; looking up at ceilings. For the most part I was alone. An elderly woman at the front desk, everyone else behind cloistered doors. I decided to eat lunch in the downstairs deli. Hallways upon hallways of marble, cut from the same slabs and amazingly matched patterns stretching seemingly on and on. I found a small deli tucked away and while waiting in line was amazed at the onslaught of young, thin, males in grayish blue suits and name tags. It kind of felt like an invasion of the children of the corn. Short hair, slight build, similar if not matching suits. I learned later these were the unpaid, eager legislative aides. 

    I enjoyed a BLT on sourdough and munched contentedly in a sea of youth and bad suits. Later I explored the gift shop  where I was offered the senior discount even though it wasn't the right day.  (LOL)

     Back to the training I noticed the distinct personality types present.  Most of the people made themselves known, a few more reticent, shared little but watched the class members relate. At the breaks, over-hearing various people on phone calls with frantic relatives; or worriedly checking business emails it occurred to me that for others, this was just a stop in the their own chaotic lives. 

    So what did all this mean to me? Well , it was another snapshot of the work world and it's stresses. People try to survive the best they can and for the most part try to avoid conflict. It's a difficult experience for most people figuring out the office politics. Even those people who reported a supportive atmosphere over-all still had reports of some issues with policies, or administration. No one was exempt. The sum of the matter was, life has its problems. Working has its problems. No matter where you go there are problems. Whew.

   Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation, but be happy, I have over-come the world." This weekend I started copying out promises from my Bible into a little notebook. Promises to read when the "problems" come. A friend messaged me that there are over 300 places in the Bible that say, "Fear not." Wow, that's encouraging. 

   With God's help, I'm just going to keep trying to do the best I can and leave the rest to Him. Learning to trust is a day by day walk; moment by moment.  Accepting our humanity is a day by day experience that requires a lot of grace. 

Grace- the free and unmerited favor of God.

So in your own life, look up, and remember prayer changes things. Be blessed.