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From Rev. Brock Patterson
“A Fine Line Between Complaining and Sharing”
Drat! All of my plans have vanished!
We work diligently to get everything arranged and then something sneaks in and disrupts the whole thing. For those of us who are stranded on the tropical island, our plans of basking in the sun with the pelicans and swimming with the sharks have been rudely interrupted. Creeping Red Tide has taken over, creating a coughing contagion that even the best meds can’t help. Oh, the pelicans are still around and I’m sure the sharks are still there-but I ain’t getting into the water anytime soon. This stinks, literally. This is supposed to be the best time of the year to live at the beach. My incoming guests will not be as happy as I’d like. All outdoor activities are greatly disrupted.
I could continue to complain but it really won’t help anyone. We’re all in the same boat and my complaining doesn’t help. Instead, my complaining just causes more unhappiness for those around me. Everyone here knows the problem and all of us are aware that we can’t do anything to fix it. Instead, we’ve just got to find a way to live with it.
There’s a fine line between complaining and sharing. Sharing our problems and issues with other people is not complaining. We need listeners to help us think through our situations. We need others to help shoulder the burdens we carry, and sharing is a valuable part of a healthy life. But complaining? That’s a whole different ball game of just griping about something we cannot control.
I’m one of those people who doesn’t share enough. I tend to hold personal things close to my vest, closing them up as if they’re some kind of top-secret information. I’m also one of those that tends to complain about something I can’t do anything about, like Red Tide. It’s strange to me that I tend to be so quiet about some things and so loud about other things.
Somehow, I can find a more proper balance between sharing and complaining. Where is that line? I haven’t found it yet, but I’m hoping that just being conscious about sharing and complaining will help me to become a better listener, a more compassionate friend, and a true representative of God’s peace and grace in every situation.
It's just another Lenten reflection, but one that needs my attention.
See you this Sunday at The Chapel!
Pastor Brock.
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