Basin & Towel

So here I am. In some ways under duress. I have a love/ hate relationship with blogging and I haven’t even started yet. Part of it I know is because I’ve so enjoyed how articulate so many bloggers are as they relate their stories and I’m not sure I could articulate my way out of a wet paper bag. But one thing I know is that I am perfectly ordinary and that there are other perfectly ordinary people out there who may be encouraged by my fumbling around. Maybe my comfort with my imperfectness will make someone else comfortable with their imperfectness and they’ll give themselves permission to try too.

One of the things I’ve appreciated about the emerging conversation (or whatever you want to call it) is that everyone gets to play. There are no benches, no one required to sit out if they are willing to participate. Recently as I was thinking about my resistance to blogging I realized that although I’m not a complete slouch in the thinking department, I’m no Brother Maynard or Robby Mac or Jamie Arpin-Ricci or Grey Owl (to name a few Canadians). But that’s okay. I’ve been known as missionalchickie for a reason. I think my strengths lie in being a practitioner of my faith. (Not to say the above folks aren’t, they do both).

So I guess that’s what I’m offering blogdom. No deep theology (oh how I appreciate the depths some of you go to - I glean so much from your insights and my life is the richer for them) but rubber meets the road practical stories and insights gleaned from walking along the road trying to be like Jesus the best I know how. He’s been amazing in my life. Through the good and the bad, ever faithful, always loving (even when I was not particularly happy with Him).

I’ve been known as missionalchickie but you can call me Di (short for Dianna). I’m abandoning the psuedonym because although I initially loved the word “missional” (I was so disillusioned with the word “evangelism”) I’m not fond of it as a label for me as a person.

(mount soapbox)

I would hate for any one of my friends to ever get the hint of a smell of agenda in me for their lives except for my committment to love them regardless of their spiritual choices. Do I want all my friends to know Jesus? Of course. Can I make it happen? Of course not. Only Jesus can make that happen. All I can do is love tham like he does. Unconditionally.

I would hate if I found out that one of my best friends who is a committed Bahai is only my friend so I would embrace Bahaullah as the most recent manifestation of God. I’d feel targeted and manipulated and somehow less loved. Why shouldn’t people of other spiritualities feel the same from pariah-like Christians? Am I attempting to live missionally? Yes. Is my mission people? No. My mission is to live and laugh and love like Jesus and with Jesus. If people want to follow Him because of something they’ve seen in me, great, but they aren’t my target. Hopefully they are simply the recipients of His love through me. Does that make sense?

(soapbox dismount)

So there we go. I’m Di and I’m a recovering church addict (Hi Di - in chorus). I’m married to a wonderful man, have three amazing kids (6yrs., 4yrs. and 2 yrs.) and a puppy. I have the privilege of journeying along with a great group of people who inspire me to honesty and thoughtful living. I don’t know how often I will be able to post but I’m committed to trying.

See you along the road,
Di