Well, it was bound to happen. I’m still not clear on all the details (and I wouldn’t pour them out here, even if I was) but Annabelle and Sadie ran into a little conflict today. There were words spoken and actions taken, and more than a few tears shed. I’m chalking some of the tension up to the language barrier that Annabelle is still facing, though her grasp of the English language is growing by leaps and bounds.
The bottom line is that we looked at it from the positive. Every emotionally charged conflict is an opportunity for division and hurt, or for growth, gain, and maturity. We chose the latter. We talked and prayed with the girls, tried to help Annabelle and Sadie understand that when you’re part of a family (or a team) you deal with conflict by talking through your feelings, trying to understand the other person’s side of things, and settling on the fact that we love each other, and we’re in this thing together.
Erwin McManus wrote about this in one of his books about the church (I think it’s Unstoppable Force–Yep, thank you Google.) When you encounter friction, you can choose to see it as something bad, something to be avoided as painful; or you can see it as a positive, like tires finding traction on slippery, ice-covered roads. If there’s no friction, there’s no traction for forward progress.
I like that.
Speaking of gaining ground, Stephanie Peters graced Calvary’s worship teams with her presence tonight. She spoke about unity, from Romans 15. Then she led us in a time of worship and prayer. It was sweet! What a time of refreshing for us…
Traction is good, even if it comes at the expense of friction in my life.
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