Did you ever have someone you least expected, share the wisest wisdom with you? Yeah, that just happened to me. I was visiting with a friend and neighbor when she totally shared something that changed my perspective.
So, let's be honest. We're learning a new language (Telugu), and as a self-professed perfectionist, this sometimes stresses me out. I try so hard, but I still struggle with the grammar, pronunciation, and expression. Today, I went to my friend and neighbor's house to visit. Okay, I also had the ulterior motive to practice one of my Jesus stories (in Telugu) with her. I told the story. Like a machine. It was that mechanical. She literally said, "Mary, I can see the stress on your face as you're talking."
The thing is: speaking Telugu does stress me out. Especially memorized stories. I am so afraid of messing up. But after I told the story (apparently looking quite stressed out by my every word), she said, "You know, you came here to tell people about this G0d that you believe in. You want others to believe in Him too. You have to tell the story like it means something to you. Forget about the grammar, and stop worrying if you're saying things perfectly." Then she told the story, and you know what? It was beautiful. She made me believe (which wasn't hard to do, since I already believe it anyway) that this story was interesting, real, and important. Oh, and another thing: she's a H!ndu. Well, actually, she would describe herself as "not very religious," but she still follows the customs of her culture. Anyway, she get's what I'm trying to do. She doesn't understand why (just yet) but she knows I'm living this life for some bigger reason. And she knows these stories are meant to share my faith in such a way that others want to know my G0d more. I wasn't expecting to get a life lesson when I went to visit my friend today. But that's exactly what happened.
So, let's be honest. We're learning a new language (Telugu), and as a self-professed perfectionist, this sometimes stresses me out. I try so hard, but I still struggle with the grammar, pronunciation, and expression. Today, I went to my friend and neighbor's house to visit. Okay, I also had the ulterior motive to practice one of my Jesus stories (in Telugu) with her. I told the story. Like a machine. It was that mechanical. She literally said, "Mary, I can see the stress on your face as you're talking."
The thing is: speaking Telugu does stress me out. Especially memorized stories. I am so afraid of messing up. But after I told the story (apparently looking quite stressed out by my every word), she said, "You know, you came here to tell people about this G0d that you believe in. You want others to believe in Him too. You have to tell the story like it means something to you. Forget about the grammar, and stop worrying if you're saying things perfectly." Then she told the story, and you know what? It was beautiful. She made me believe (which wasn't hard to do, since I already believe it anyway) that this story was interesting, real, and important. Oh, and another thing: she's a H!ndu. Well, actually, she would describe herself as "not very religious," but she still follows the customs of her culture. Anyway, she get's what I'm trying to do. She doesn't understand why (just yet) but she knows I'm living this life for some bigger reason. And she knows these stories are meant to share my faith in such a way that others want to know my G0d more. I wasn't expecting to get a life lesson when I went to visit my friend today. But that's exactly what happened.
