For instance, I cannot stand it when people distort the Fish that represents Christianity, with something referring to evolution, the devil, etc. Drives me batty. I have to refrain from staring at the driver as I pass them because, well, that would prove their point if I did! Where's the love in that? I have to remind myself to pray for that person as they clearly have not met the Jesus that I have. They don't know Him to be so loving and kind and compassionate. They don't know that He loves them on such an extreme level that we can't even comprehend it. But I pray that one day they do. And then they will realize why distorting that fish hurts my heart to see...
Every now and again a bumper sticker really makes me laugh. I love it when I see one that is just genuinely funny! Then you have the stickers that have cuss words on them and again, the mad Jen comes out because I'd rather not have to explain to my 7 year old that can now read what it means...and again, pray Jen, pray.
I remember in school we had to make our own bumper sticker; we were to come up with the slogan and design it and carry it on to completion. I must have been 10 or 11 and all I could come up with was "Only pigs snort." It was supposed to be an anti-drug kind of thing, with a pig snout and all. Ya, it was pretty lame. So clearly I'm not the most clever when it comes to bumper stickers. But hold your hats folks because I've got a good one now:
"Excuse my poor driving, I've been un-friended. Again."
Or how about, "I could use a hug, I've been un-friended. Again." Or, "Pay no attention to my erratic behavior, I've just been un-friended. Again."
Perhaps you can guess what this post is about. It's happened to me numerous times, and perhaps it's happened to you. Social Networking is great for a lot of things; keeping in touch has never been easier, organizing events, killing time, tons of fun right? Right. Until you get un-friended. Sometimes it's innocent, a person just cleaning up their friends list and realizing you don't talk much, they delete you from their facebook. Totally understandable. But then their are times it's deliberate. And they go to your little profile picture, look at your cheezy, happy mug and still choose to un-friend ya. Delete you from their friend list. Remove you. End your relationship. Done. Buh-bye.
If you have not felt that feeling before, it's not the greatest feeling. Hence my need to come up with bumper stickers full of humor to deflect the fact that I have feelings too. And you do as well.
Not everybody is going to like us. Jesus said, "the world hated me, and it will hate you." Sometimes decisions are made that are not popular, and you loose friends. Sometimes you make a comment you wish you could take back, and you loose a friend. Sometimes there are mis-understandings and again, you loose a friend.
But it leads me to this question, were they ever really a friend to begin with? Do you really have 500 friends! Because true friends hash stuff out. True friends don't resort to facebook to air their dirty laundry. True friends talk in a real life manner. "Friend" is a very deep word. Very.
Social networking is great for many reasons, but it's also not great, for many reasons. You don't hear peoples tone of voice over social networking. You don't get to see the emotion they are portraying. You don't truly get to hear the heart of a person.
I suppose if you go into the Social world of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc., you have to go in with a light heart. You have to know that everybody takes themselves far to seriously and it's easy to fall into the trap to do the same thing.
Facebook is fun! Twitter, fun. I don't plan to give them up anytime soon, although I have contemplated it as of late. But again, can't take ourselves too seriously!
So long as we keep in mind that those things can't define who we are, we will remain in a good place. If we allow the thoughts and opinions of others to define us, we move to a bad place. If we dwell on those that reject us, we move to a bad place. If we go to facebook with our emotions on our sleeves, we are heading to a vulnerable place, not one that belongs floating around cyberspace for all to see. Let's be wise when it comes to that kind of stuff. Have fun! Don't take yourself to seriously. And don't take your friends, or lack thereof, too seriously either. It is what it is.
I just thought of a new bumper sticker, "Jesus won't un-friend me. Ever."
Nor will he un-friend you. Nor will He turn on you. Nor will He leave you. Not ever. He's cool like that.
3 comments:
I just realized the other day that I had lost some "friends". What a weird feeling, the old peace-making/approval seeking Vanessa wanted to call them and ask them what happened but I just laughed, remembering that you had just wrote about this. So glad I'm not the only one this happens to. People are so funny. You're a good egg Jen! LOL
I've been un-friended by my own family members! Ouch! Not only does it hurt, but it made me mad thinking, "how immature can you really be?" to not pick up a phone to say that something has bothered them, As most adults would do, really shined light on who they are as a human being anyways.
And unfortunately, the damage that it caused, is mist likely going to leave a llife long dent in the relationship, especially, since there's the much mire appropriate unsubscribe button.
To those that I don't know so well, eh, who cares! They don't like my business, or they don't like my God. Both of which are far more important to me to express, than the smooth over of a superficial acquaintance.
I have had this happen a couple times, and my first thought was, "Well, you're going to have to be around me in heaven!" because we go to the same church, lol. Oh, well :)
Post a Comment