Discernment and
belonging: All of us cherish the feeling
of belonging--the place, the people, the work feels right. The feelings of
being out of place, of being left out, of being ignored, being treated with
indifference are important discernment tools. Those feelings/experiences are
calling us to take notice, to do an inventory of sorts. First of all, I need to examine in which ways
I may be the reason for feeling misplaced or displaced. Do I
need to change my attitudes or my behaviors? Or does it have nothing to do with
me—this simply is a place where God does not want me to be! I recall a story of
a teenager who drove up to a bar. Clearly, she heard: (Sally—not her real
name), you do not belong here! She
did not even have to enter the premises and feel the misplacement. God clearly
indicated to her that she was out of place in this kind of environment. I’m not
sure that she turned around and went home but she heard the message.
When you are feeling left
out, when you don’t sense you belong, what helps you deal with these feelings?
What steps do you need to take to feel more comfortable with yourself and
others? Finding your answers to those questions,
or similar ones, is the work of discernment.
Knowing when to move on to a new career, a new residence, a new
attitude, a new way of being, a new outlook on life could very easily be
preceded by feeling out of place, feeling uncomfortable. You may be sayings things to yourself such
as: “I don’t fit in here anymore,” “I don’t belong here,” “I’m in the wrong place,” “The timing is not
right,” and so forth. Paying attention
to this discomfort and pondering its meaning will lead you to knowing what God
is asking of you.
Do you have the courage
to enter into the feelings of mis/displacement, the feelings of not belonging?
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