Life is Like a Pound of Sausage
I've never met a sausage I didn't like. I've always loved the stuff, especially plain old southern pork sausage. As a little girl I requested it for breakfast every chance I got.
Then one day someone told me how sausage was made and what was in it. I was totally grossed out for about twenty-four hours when I started thinking about all the sausage I'd eaten and how much I loved the way it tasted. In the end I decided the ingredients didn't matter. Did I want to sit down and eat a roasted kidney? Um, no, but I thought it through. The sausage was still, well, sausage. My knowledge of it had changed, but it still tasted the same. Since then I've managed to focus more on the crispy, meaty, yummy final product rather than the repulsive individual ingredients.
Today I went back to school to start a new year. I got to see all my friends and colleagues. After the summer, when I've been away for a while, I always feel refreshed to see the people that work alongside me. It might sound a little cheesy but our school really is a community school, and the people there really care about each other and about the students.
In my limited experience it's kind of like sausage. Do I like every thing about every person at my school? Nope. Do we disagree sometimes? Yep. Do I get on other people's nerves? You bet. In fact sometimes the discussions can get a little bit heated, especially when the conflict is about something important to our students. Friction is bound to happen when you ask so many different personalities to work together doing something difficult, aimed at a common goal. The ingredients and process can be as unappealing as the making of sausage.
Let me tell you that the end result can be just as unique, amazing, and unexpected as sausage is. You put in lungs and kidneys and receive some tasty meat in the end. Put a diverse group of people together, and they can do more as a whole than they ever could as individuals.
This morning we sat together and talked about the success we've experienced as a school in the last few years. The progress we've made is mind boggling. How'd we do it? We worked hard, hashed out differences, and capitalized on everyone's strengths. It took all of us working together to help our students achieve. Just one example is our graduation rate. We are matriculating just over 80% of our students. If you know anything about the latest trend in high school drop out rates, you'll know how stellar that number truly is.
Despite any differences we may have, I love the people who were in that room with me today. I'm so thankful that I've been able to know them, work with them, and learn from them.
I don't just feel this way about my school community. I feel the same way about my community of faith.
It's easy for people to get discouraged about the conflicts and divisions among God's people. I've felt that way so many times, even now I'm not immune. I want to see the benefits of belonging to God's family: helping others, being supported, worshiping together, and effectively spreading the Gospel. But sometimes I don't like the process that happens behind the scenes. People aren't perfect. Just like my colleagues, my family of faith is diverse. Different people have different opinions about different things, which causes conflict from time to time.
People's feelings get hurt. Mine have been hurt before. People hurt others. I've hurt others before. We will disagree about things both vital and inconsequential. There are rarely easy solutions to those disagreements, and sometimes compromise isn't even possible.
We can't let ourselves be distracted from our common purpose: to love people and tell them about Jesus. We can't forget that our diversity isn't just a source of strife; it is also our source of strength.
These ideas aren't new. Paul was always writing to the early church, helping them figure out how to muddle through the same things we face today. Here's what he tells the Romans in chapter twelve:
Image credit:
http://virginiatraditions.com/assets/item/large/991.jpg
Then one day someone told me how sausage was made and what was in it. I was totally grossed out for about twenty-four hours when I started thinking about all the sausage I'd eaten and how much I loved the way it tasted. In the end I decided the ingredients didn't matter. Did I want to sit down and eat a roasted kidney? Um, no, but I thought it through. The sausage was still, well, sausage. My knowledge of it had changed, but it still tasted the same. Since then I've managed to focus more on the crispy, meaty, yummy final product rather than the repulsive individual ingredients.
Today I went back to school to start a new year. I got to see all my friends and colleagues. After the summer, when I've been away for a while, I always feel refreshed to see the people that work alongside me. It might sound a little cheesy but our school really is a community school, and the people there really care about each other and about the students.
In my limited experience it's kind of like sausage. Do I like every thing about every person at my school? Nope. Do we disagree sometimes? Yep. Do I get on other people's nerves? You bet. In fact sometimes the discussions can get a little bit heated, especially when the conflict is about something important to our students. Friction is bound to happen when you ask so many different personalities to work together doing something difficult, aimed at a common goal. The ingredients and process can be as unappealing as the making of sausage.
Let me tell you that the end result can be just as unique, amazing, and unexpected as sausage is. You put in lungs and kidneys and receive some tasty meat in the end. Put a diverse group of people together, and they can do more as a whole than they ever could as individuals.
This morning we sat together and talked about the success we've experienced as a school in the last few years. The progress we've made is mind boggling. How'd we do it? We worked hard, hashed out differences, and capitalized on everyone's strengths. It took all of us working together to help our students achieve. Just one example is our graduation rate. We are matriculating just over 80% of our students. If you know anything about the latest trend in high school drop out rates, you'll know how stellar that number truly is.
Despite any differences we may have, I love the people who were in that room with me today. I'm so thankful that I've been able to know them, work with them, and learn from them.
I don't just feel this way about my school community. I feel the same way about my community of faith.
It's easy for people to get discouraged about the conflicts and divisions among God's people. I've felt that way so many times, even now I'm not immune. I want to see the benefits of belonging to God's family: helping others, being supported, worshiping together, and effectively spreading the Gospel. But sometimes I don't like the process that happens behind the scenes. People aren't perfect. Just like my colleagues, my family of faith is diverse. Different people have different opinions about different things, which causes conflict from time to time.
People's feelings get hurt. Mine have been hurt before. People hurt others. I've hurt others before. We will disagree about things both vital and inconsequential. There are rarely easy solutions to those disagreements, and sometimes compromise isn't even possible.
We can't let ourselves be distracted from our common purpose: to love people and tell them about Jesus. We can't forget that our diversity isn't just a source of strife; it is also our source of strength.
These ideas aren't new. Paul was always writing to the early church, helping them figure out how to muddle through the same things we face today. Here's what he tells the Romans in chapter twelve:
Each one of us has a body with many parts, and these parts all have different uses. In the same way, we are many, but in Christ we are all one body. Each one is a part of that body, and each part belongs to all the other parts. We all have different gifts, each of which came because of the grace God gave us. The person who has the gift of prophecy should use that gift in agreement with the faith. Anyone who has the gift of serving should serve. Anyone who has the gift of teaching should teach. Whoever has the gift of encouraging others should encourage. Whoever has the gift of giving to others should give freely. Anyone who has the gift of being a leader should try hard when he leads. Whoever has the gift of showing mercy to others should do so with joy. (4-8 NCV)If we all offer up our different gifts to the cause, the result will be worth more than the sum of its parts. Don't be afraid to give what you have, don't compare your gift with someone else's, and don't let conflict discourage you. Embrace yourself and others; keep your focus where it should be-- on Jesus.
Image credit:
http://virginiatraditions.com/assets/item/large/991.jpg
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