A little personal back story….
I grew up in a house with successful parents who worked in the business, military, state government, and even the church. Their names were not in the lights, but they worked hard for what they had, they leaned into their skills and gifts to provided for my sister and me – shameless plug – my sister’s current project, they even provided for their parents. The blood, sweat, and tears – all the hard work was for our family.
So, why tell their story here… both of my parents were entrepreneurial, hard working, and they saw things with unique perspectives. They taught their children to go after the world, to try, to even fail, to work hard, and above all value your family. They weren’t perfect and nor was I growing up for that matter, but what I learned growing up is that we should not quit with the chips are down or run away. Rather run toward the things you want in life, be honest – sometimes brutally honest but always in love, throwing in the rag and walking away isn’t always the best option in life, it may be the easiest – but not the best.
Life, marriage, family, all these things takes work, hard work, sometimes its working with your strengthens and other times it is working on your weaknesses. This is the beauty of life, we aren’t perfect, God didn’t make us beautifully perfect – God made us beautifully broken. We are created to be social creatures, drawn together and strong together. Where I am weak, my wife is strong. Where my wife is weak, wait – nope – she is strong. *smile* Theologically I think we are created this way, broken / imperfect, not becasue God cant create perfection, but God created this creation to work together, to be in relationship.
My parents taught with their words and actions, they taught with their life and it instilled in me a set of values and lenses to see the world, sure part of that was church and God and Jesus and worship and prayer, but it was also knowing that life isn’t always fair. This has a profound affect on my worldview, I see the world as full of opportunity! I try to see the world with hope, what could be? what might be?, I see people with the benefit of the doubt, skewed to the good not the bad.
I bring this worldview to my ministry and my ministry to this worldview. It seems to me the Father in heaven continues to reveal to me that God wants Grace poured out and we are the means in which that grace flows. Grace is opportunity , Grace is viewing people with benefit of the doubt, Grace is work, Grace is rest!
Grace is running after deep friendship with God relentlessly!
Grace is the realization that we don’t have it all together!
Seth Gibson 