I
used to write a lot. In fact, I used to make it a point to write something on paper every single day for at least 15 minutes. I’d either crack open my journal or open up an empty word processing document, stare at the page or the blinking cursor, and unleash the wrath of my thoughts on an unsuspecting blank slate.
When I was in college, I dreamed of being a writer. The only thing that I secretly wanted to ever become was the kind of guy that could get away with sitting in the back of a coffee shop and penning dreams and ideas onto paper.
I started blogging later in college and putting some of my thoughts out there for others to read. It was the popular thing to do. And, frankly, I found out that I was good at it and people responded well to what I wrote.
Eventually I got accepted for the World Race, a missions trip that would take me all over the world. The cool part was that the organization assigned everyone a blog to update so that our story on the field could be captured. Knowing that I had some degree of talent, I took advantage of it.
I ended up traversing the world, capturing story after story, emotion after emotion, and in the process, securing a good audience.
Since my journey in 2008, I’ve continued to write about my journey with the World Race. I’m on staff with the parent organization, Adventures In Missions, and do a lot in terms of marketing and getting the word out that “missions is awesome.”
Missions is awesome – don’t get me wrong. I’m pretty sure that I’m going to be in full-time ministry the rest of my life, and probably always with a missional focus.
I’ve realized that I stopped writing for me. I stopped writing for a release. I had even stopped journaling offline. I was writing for an audience and I had literally gotten consumed in an artificial online reality. I can make my life sound however I want to. I’m good with words. But I want to make sure that I’m living a story that I want to tell. Does that make sense?
Now I understand that for several people, my blog is the way that stay updated on my life; Facebook is the way that you experienced the day-to-day experiences that I live through; and Twitter is just… well… Twitter.
I’ve been very convicted lately that I need to invest more in non-virtual relationships. So those of you that follow me on Facebook and Twitter, those of you that are subscribed to my blog – you’ve noticed my presence has been thinner.
What it boils down to is this: I’m cutting back on social media and investing more in personal relationships. Does that mean you get left out? No. Here’s what all of this means:
Blogging. I still operate another blog that I began several months ago. I don’t post there that often. But I’m considering making the full transition there. Again, this is going to involve heavy prayer because I recognize the ministry that I have here and I’m not sure who would all follow me there.
Social media. This means that you won’t know what I’m eating for lunch every day. This means that you won’t know when I’m going to be at the gym. It also means that I might not respond to your Facebook messages immediately anymore.
Personal relationships. I’m down with email but I struggle with phone calls, although I’m willing to make them. I love coffee and want to sit down with as many of you as possible and share my heart. All of that to say, if you want to have a real friendship with me… let’s do it. I’m willing to make the investment. And if we don’t live in the same place, we’ll make it work somehow… somehow… maybe…
I’m learning the value of relationships and the gifts that God has graced me with. I want to steward them well, properly, and effectively. A lot of times that looks messy. It looks like us hurting each other. It looks like us offending each other. It looks like letting people down. But it also looks like a lot of grace. It looks like a lot of healing. It looks like a lot of restoration. It looks like cradling each other and building one another up.
