In the Right Place

I was having a moment of self-pity the other day. I realized I didn't have any real friends in the city. Of course, this isn't true, but when you get into that "this sucks" headspace, it's easy to feed the internal drama. Probably closer to the truth is that I don't really know any Christians. I'm in that awkward age group that makes it hard to A, find Christian peers, and B, work my way into a pre-existing group of Christian young adults at a church.

And then God snapped me out of my sulk.

First of all, I have friends. I really do. Sure, most of them happen to subtitle for a living, but I happen to believe that subtitlers are pretty cool. And for some of my colleagues who are new to the city, I am one of their only friends. So while I have no Christian friends, their only friend is a Christian. I'm the only Christian in my work environment. How humbling is that? For some, I am the only example of Christ they may have.

Secondly, I have been given a gift most PK's don't get to experience; I get to experience church from the outside. Until recently, I've never really thought about the newcomer's perspective, how awkward and intensely lonely church can be when forced to sit at the back alone, welcomed solely by the usher, and ignored and out-of-the-loop for the rest of the service. How many times have I failed to pay attention to the people around me? How do I know if they're a follower of Christ or a desperate seeker about to abandon hope if I don't make the effort to get to know them?

Moral of my story: Nadine, snap out of your funk. Be grateful for the unique position God's put you in. You wanted out of the Christian bubble, and you're out. Now go love on some people...