Fresh perspective.

There are many ways I like to pray, but prayer walking is not one of them.

You'd think because of my sensory preferences of information gathering and tendency towards the kinesthetic learning style, that I'd enjoy it very much.  Walking, going, and being at the locations of sources of prayer seem like it'd spark a lot of creative and interesting ways to pray as opposed to sitting in a circle in a room with people holding hands.

And it's true.

I've discovered that it's prayer walking in groups that I don't like.  The prayer walks I've experienced in groups involved confusion around where to walk or which way to walk; the awkwardness of praying out loud so that the people you pass along the way give you strange looks; and not being able to hear someone's prayer, just for a few examples.

God finally nudged me hard enough to take a prayer walk on campus that I had been putting off all summer.

Fine, I said, but I'm going by myself.

And God replied, When did I say you had to go with anyone?  I simply said to go.

Oh.  I guess that's right.

So I went.

God's big nudge had come at a time where I was really frustrated with students for not doing things excellently, with myself for not being able to coach them or lead them well, and with the lack of fruit I was expecting and hoping to see after a few years of hard work.  I was at a breaking point, and knew I needed to do something to empty me of myself and be filled with compassion for RIT.

I committed an hour of my time on campus.  I simply wandered around a part of campus, stopping every once in a while to write down what I observed and what I heard.  Towards the end of that hour I used the contents of this list as springboards for prayer. 

I've only done this prayer walk once so far.  It wasn't an earth-shattering event, but it felt like it was groundbreaking for my hardening heart.  There were no evangelistic moments or divine appointments, but my obedience out of the desire to meet with the Lord created a shift in my posture.  There were no revelations or inspired images, but there were small, new discoveries of things I thought I knew.

Like bubble tea in The Market.  Or that there's a second floor of Global Village where the Study Abroad office is.

God's nudging was for me to do this on a weekly basis, so I'm hoping to get into the habit of spending an hour each week for this kind of prayer walk, exploring a different part of campus.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Creative ways to partner - September 2014

Please email me (tammy_bixler@ivstaff.org) if you'd like to help out in any of these ways!

(Note:  What is Expedition?)

1. Expedition snacks:  individual packs of Swedish fish and Goldfish to give out for student participation as we study the book of Jonah.  Get it??  Jonah + big fish?
2. Expedition decor:  send me favorite pictures from a road trip (sunsets, friends, sightseeing, etc.)?  Send them via email (tammy_bixler@ivstaff.org) or mail copies to me (ask me for address).  I'll post them around the room we use at the conference site.
3. Sponsor a Small Group care package:
   
   We now have 11 small group leaders leading 11 small groups this fall.  They could use a lot of encouragement and prayers as they continue to reach their communities on campus and grow as a mini-witnessing community. 
   
   Would you consider sponsoring a care package to send them this fall?  I can definitely give you suggestions and ideas of what to include if you would like help.  You can send it anytime this semester.
   
   Here are the small group leaders and their respective communities:
   
   
   1. Aidin - International students
   2. Amanda - Artists
   3. Doug - Freshmen
   4. Eric - Grad students
   5. Jeremy - Co-op
   6. Jessie - Artists
   7. Lydia - Health Sciences
   8. Mark - Commuter & Faculty
   9. Rachel - Mandarin Speaking
   10. Tim - Outdoors & Adventure
   11. Tin - Fitness

Confessions of a staff worker.

Honestly, I don't really like meeting new people.

Now, don't get me wrong.  I like people.  I love having good conversations and getting to know an individual's hopes, dreams, and learning about what makes them tick.

It's the approach and carrying on the conversation I often have issues with.

I don't like inserting myself into people's time and space.  I want to leave people well enough alone.  And I am perfectly content with being around a lot of wandering people without feeling the need to interact with them.  I don't want to be an interruption or burden or source of awkwardness for anyone.

Speaking of awkwardness, my fear of awkwardness is what tests my ability to sustain a conversation with someone.  I'm afraid we won't have anything in common for me to jump start our interaction, or that something I say will make the other person feel uncomfortable or trapped.  I'm afraid I won't know what question to ask next or what to do if the other person answers too briefly.

Also, I just want people to like me.  Who doesn't want people to like them?

That's what makes New Student Outreach (NSO) events so intimidating and draining for me.  I'd much rather just set up shop and wait for people to approach me.  Be there for people when they call.

But that's not how Jesus loved people.  He didn't stay in one place and wait for people to come to him - he left all that was comfortable and familiar and went to them.  He moved past potentially awkward situations.  He wasn't afraid to go deep really fast.  He crossed cultural boundaries.  He didn't lose focus from His purpose.  He boldly challenged others.  He invited people to join Him.  It was all worth it, to Him.  People in need are worth it to Him.  

So when NSO comes around, I work hard to step up and introduce myself to people despite my fears and discomfort.  I ask the Holy Spirit for courage.  I try really hard to be assertive but genuine at the same time.  I am reminded that not all of my attempts will bear fruit.  Rejection and failure should be expected.  But that doesn't mean I should let it paralyze me.

Meeting new students is not something that comes naturally to me, despite what some of my students may think.  It is something I discipline myself to do for the sake of the gospel.  God's love for me gives me the capacity to love others - even strangers.

It is tempting to be lazy or leave it to the "socially gifted" and "extroverts" of the group around me.  But we are all called to love God and love others, and that means we are all called to seek out the needs of others and to meet them where they are.

When it comes to loving people, Jesus always said, 'Go and do.'  When did he ever say, 'Sit and wait'?