Tuesday, May 18, 2010

weirdness.

In the early 90's, my little brother was completely obsessed with Hanson. (MMMBop - don't act like you don't remember.) We, of course, weren't allowed to listen to secular music, so we would go to Becca's house and dance to her cassette on repeat, our sockfeet making swirls in the dust on the hardwood floor.
     They had this one song called 'Weird' that sang (in a gorgeously pre-pubescent soprano) isn't it weird, isn't it strange, that we all get a little bit weird sometimes. 


I'm nearing the end of my book. (!!!!!) and yes, freaking out a little bit. I passed the 50,000 marker last week, which means I could hand it in now and breathe easy. But I want to hit 60,000 and finish on time and with excellence. so thanks to those of you who have been encouraging me along the way.

above is a little blip from the chapter I'm scurrying to finish this week. It's about how the more I live, the more I realize how truly, wonderfully weird everyone is, in their own way. I'm starting to see and appreciate the bizarre, unique and often unrecognized gifts the people around me possess and the equally bizarre, unique and unrecognized ways God uses these gifts in His big story.


My friend MJ (holla!) has a quote that I've been marinating on -
"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." I'm starting to see that the plans God has for the people around me are as crazy as the things that make these people come alive. 


Don Miller's blog this week was about asking people about their stories (you might as well start reading his blog too, because I am hooked and will probably just keep on citing it...). I absolutely love this because I absolutely hate small talk. I don't care about your job or your kid's 2nd grade graduation - and what's more, I know you probably don't really care either. I'd rather hear about the things you really DO care about, even if we're not "at that point" in our relationship yet.

So my question, in this scattered blog entry is this:
what makes you come alive? specific and unique to only you.

i'm looking for examples to feed on.

comment anonymously or email me at majecla317!



7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I come alive when I hear music. not just listening to it of course, its when I dance. And I can go to a million dance classes and practices and still not "feel" it. But when I get on stage and I am dancing, its not just dancing for the people, its my complete worship to God. I am so captivated by him, and I feel that it is only me and Christ on that stage. I am who he created me to be in that moment, I am his, and I am doing without a doubt what he has made me to do. And its in those few minutes before him that I am alive, because I know that he is pleased. God created me to dance, and that is what I am going to do. Its my passion. And I think of what it would be like to dance without him being my focus, and I honestly wouldnt even know what to do. It has become to natural for me to give back what great ability God has gifted me with. I may not be feeding children in haiti, or saving the world or anything, but I know that my God is pleased when i dance before him. In a world where dance has become so sexual, I can turn it around into something that is not only pure, but so holy becuase I know that I am giving it all to God.... Thats what makes me alive.

Anonymous said...

Random acts of kindness makes me come alive. It is invigorating after I've done it, and I kind of get this little attitude of like, "Yeah I'm awesome. That's totally what Jesus would've done." And that's probably cocky, but whatever. Like today, there was this semi-sketchy-looking guy with some missing teeth in the Chipotle parking lot, and his car needed a jump. As I was pulling up, he had been asking two other cars for jumps and he'd gotten rejected from both. He walked up to my car window, and I had this mini-internal moment of like "ummm, okay please don't ask me for money," and then when he asked me for a jump, I was kind of relieved, but also felt a little bad that I'd made the assumption that he was going to ply me for money. But I helped the guy, and let him borrow my cell phone to call home. We chatted and he told me about his horrible day, and then we went our separate ways. And as I was eating my awesome burrito, I had this really good, feeling of like "yeah, that was really invigorating to do the right thing."

So, sometimes I feel like I'm reluctant to help out random people because of my fears, but after I do I always feel really invigorated and am reminded that people ...are just people. And just need a car jump once in a while.

majecla said...

i have been so inspired by these stories! What a giant, crazy God we serve who loves us enough to hand himself out in tiny little fragments so we can be His hands and feet on this planet!

i love hearing about your unique weirdness and how He is using it!!!

keep them coming!

(and ps just because i said you can comment anonymously doesn't mean you HAVE to be anonymous...)

Anonymous said...

I like being mysterious!

majecla said...

hahaa. i will just have to guess then...

Anonymous said...

I like being anonymous. It's super sneaky and squirrely.

Jim said...

I come alive when a kid comes to me and wants to share something that is important to them. Share something they found and is now stuffed in their pocket, a good test score, a concern or worry they need to tell someone, when they simply want someone not to hear them but to listen to them.

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