dailydatewithgod

Have you ever noticed that in one context something seems pleasant and in another context it does not?  When we drop things it is not good.  When we feel drops of rain it can be either depending on how much you like rain.  When we drop information it is seen as helpful.  When we drop hints it can be frustrating or helpful depending on whether or not we wanted more than just hints. What we encounter is not the words themselves but the meaning we place on them.  Context is operating within the meaning.  So much communication gets messed up between individuals because they are operating from different contexts.  There are also layers of context.  There is individual, familial, societal, and the specific setting and situation. The good news is we can clear the air when it is muddled by context by providing it to each other instead of assuming it is the same for everyone. Context is not intended to make communication difficult. It is intended to be able to engage in the world in such a way that it does not require a constant explanation for everything.  Yet how many of us are operating from a context we neither remember learning or chose to follow?  When we interact with others who are coming from a different context, we can either be frustrated or see it as an opportunity to clarify our own context for ourselves.  We think it is their problem that they do not understand our context, but maybe it is ours and we don’t know it yet. Each interaction of frustration can be an opportunity and a gift even if it looks like it might be painful.  Another and seemingly easier option is to make the other wrong and ourselves right. When we do that we rob ourselves of the chance to get clear about our own contexts and learn about how we see things. God did not provide us this world with so many varieties of people and their contexts because God wanted us to be frustrated by what it takes to interact with one another.  God’s invitation is always about learning and growing our capacity to recognize the face of love no matter the context.  Then again, that is just part of how my daily dates with God have changed my context for love.