Growing up, I've always been at peace with my awkwardness and I never felt the pressure or much care to fit in. But something about being older... I get so sad to know that my social awkwardness and anxiety can get in the way(?) of the church family that God desires. Ok ok, I know - "Nothing can get in the way of God's plans!" or "You're so proud to think your weakness blah blah." I dono.. I just get frustrated thinking of how my awkward silences can be mistaken for rudeness or dislike, and my efforts to make small talk are just blubbering stutters that eventually make me look a fool. I feel a tension between my desire for community and my comfort in isolation. But I also feel the tension within those tensions. My comfort in isolation is at times met with loneliness and fear of being forgotten. Desire for community is at a tug-of-war with fear of people and un-acceptance.
Whether inside the church or outside, society as a whole values community. That's what society is; when community dies, society can't thrive. And to some extent, everyone wears masks to hide parts of themselves and in an effort to make community "work". But what if you're just a weirdo that can't fake it well? How do I keep "being me" and my weird self, vs. do I compromise my weaknesses, and how do I swallow my fears in order to love others? I dono if this makes sense.
I know at the end of the day, God calls us to love each other with all of our quirks and differences. At the end of the day, his church is made up of all kinds of people who are flawed and imperfect. I want to love God, and love people... But in my first steps into looking for a church, I find myself struggling to fit in and be accepted. I feel like a broken finger trying to find a body that will accept it, but first I need to wrap my broken self up well with a neat bow. Or as if I'm a tooth trying to be an eyeball. Idk!! haha
sigh.
