Impress or Impact

I was visiting a church this past weekend for work, and got the chance to hear a different Pastor preach...and I was challenged!  Love it when that happens...

Have you ever considered the difference between Impressing someone versus Impacting someone?  I never really had, but he offered a good thought.

You can impress someone in the short term....but impacting someone takes long-term effort and energy.

You see, impressing someone can be fairly simple, it doesn't necessarily take a lot of time, and the person you are trying to impress doesn't need to have a deep understanding of who you are.  You can keep them at arms length, yet let them get just close enough to impress them.

Yet impacting takes work.  It's difficult, it takes time, and it requires closeness: them in your space, and you in theirs.

I think this rings true in many areas of life....not just relationally.  Take a job for instance.  In the short term, you can come in, show proficiency, keep things running smoothly, and earn praise and accolades.  But have you made a dramatic difference?  Have you tried to leave a lasting impact in the organization?

Often in our lives, we sail through the impressing phase, hit a difficult spot...and rather than digging in and fighting through it, we give up thinking "I've done something good here.  It's time to move on."  NO!!!!  The good stuff...the great stuff is just ahead! 

Impact comes when you hit a challenge, dig in, fight through, and come out on the other side.  You've worked hard, taken time, and gotten messy doing it....but what a glorious mess.

I'm tired of just making an impression...I want to make an impact. 

NYWC Session 2

David Crowder Band, Shane Claiborne, Andrew Marin, Tony Campolo

First let me just say that yesterday was the first time I have ever seen Crowder live. It was great! Such energy and passion for what he does...and he is absolutely hysterical. I think my favorite part was when he busted out the keytar and the modified guitar hero-esque guitar. A-Mazing.

Now, I have a confession to make. A lot of my staff, and just a lot of people that I know in general have read Irresistable Revolution and Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne. They've talked about it, praised it as a "must read" and seriously contemplated selling all their possessions, and living with the poor and homeless. I have been skeptical of anything that seems like a "fad" book. I was skeptical of books like Velvet Elvis and Blue Like Jazz when they first came out. I don't know, I'm sure there's good stuff, but I kind of like the classics.

After listening to him speak last night though, I had to get his book and see what this is all about...Because he said something that resonated with me 100%, that I have been trying to articulate for 5 years, but haven't really been able to.

He talked about growing up in church, having all the "right" answers, and holding all the "right" beliefs, and all the "right" political opinions. And then he came to a realization:

"When I am faced with a 14 year old girl, pregnant and unmarried, how can I be pro-life without being willing to come alongside this 14 year old girl and help her learn how to become a 14 year old mother?"

That's about as close to a direct quote as I could get....I wanted to stand up and say thank you for putting into words far better than I have ever been able to figure out how to, exactly what has always bothered me. I get frustrated (with this issue specifically for some reason) that we seem to condemn young women and girls who find themselves in this situation....regardless of the choice they make...Make the "Pro-life" decision to keep the baby, and be ostracized and condemned for being pregnant out of wedlock...Make the "Pro-choice" decision to have an abortion, and be ostracized and condemned for having an abortion. These girls are in a no win.

Unless we choose to come alongside them and walk with them into and along a path that doesn't seem to have clear-cut, easy decisions.

I had to go to his late-night talk back session to hear more, and I am glad I did. He talked more about the community he lives in and answered some of the questions I have wondered: How do you just do what you do? What about issues of safety? Do you ever feel like you have been taken advantage of?

It was good stuff. Challenging stuff. And I am still thinking about it. I feel like I have so much more to think about and process. But it's been great so far.

And by the way....I love this city.

Living Safe

So a little over a week ago, I was up at my parents and went to GCC for church on Saturday evening (although it is not my home church, I am challenged, encouraged, and pushed every time I go. So I go whenever I am able). Rob Wegner spoke about Fear of Failure. I don't want to try to capture everything he said, so I'll just say watch it here.

His message pushed me and encouraged me...and I stayed up until almost 2 am the next night talking with a friend about the message... what God had taught me, and how I thought my life needed to look different.

It all started with a rubber band, and it ended with me wanting MORE. Wanting to take the idea of living safe and chuck it right out the window! Wanting to go further, go deeper, take risks, and not be afraid to fail.

You see, there is one part that has stuck with me ever since that evening. It's the story of Peter, walking on the water, a story I've heard countless times. Peter always goes for it. Sometimes without really thinking things through. You can always count on him for that. So Jesus invites him to walk on water... and he does! He makes it a ways, and then starts to sink... overcome with fear and uncertainty. A failure... Right? Yea. But what about this? The 11 other disciples in the boat didn't even try. That's what Rob drove home, at least to me. Peter tried. Sure he failed, but as Rob put it "He failed gloriously."

How awesome is that? What have I done that, yea... I may have failed. But you know what? I failed gloriously! Probably not too many things... because I don't like to fail.

I want to change that. I'm not saying I'm going to chuck all logic, reason, common sense, and all the good gifts God has given us that go along with being rational beings. But, I want to be willing to step out, take a huge risk, and know that I may fail.

Because I have become convinced that great things happen only when we step up and take great risks.

So it's time for me to step up.