I had a hard time coming up with a bulletin for today, a lot because I have been having a hard time at work this past week. It's one of those personality issues; not that there is some technical problem that can't be solved but two people are not getting along well and it's been causing me to lose sleep in anxiety over it.

On the other hand, it's caused me a lot of extra praying, too, so I guess it's not entirely an all bad thing. In fact, isn't it often a result of stress that we grow, or vice-versa? I mean, sometimes when we grow we have stress problems, too, because of the growth.

Consider if our membership doubled. Some of us say "wonderful!" while others might say "Oh, no!!!" Imagine all the new faces, people who are not "old timers" to our church in this area but "move ins", people who have come from other places at various levels of Christian maturity. People who might have strange ideas (at least we think so), some of them perhaps even wrong due to lack of knowledge of the scripture. Or worse - make us think about things in different ways, and bring us to a better understanding of the scriptures because we've believed something wrong all these years. Do we just try to get rid of these new people? Of course not! We would hopefully embrace them with love, understanding, and if need be patience. I would expect we would try to learn about them, about the things they bring to the table, and after comparing it to the gospel with an honest heart apply it to help the church grow and change (that means US) in most likely wonderful ways.

Still, it would be hard to take in these people and not think of them as "newcomers" for some time. I myself hear comments from people still (and we've been here since 1997!) who tell me that I wouldn't understand because I haven't been here all that long, that I don't know so-and-so who used to be a member here, etc. Frankly, that's all right with me because sometimes we need a differing viewpoint, but not destructive one, to help us evaluate our own beliefs. Not to be different or contrary just for the sake of upsetting anyone, but someone to offer a different perspective. A whole bunch of people coming here and attending with us, from all over the country perhaps, would bring not only personality differences but cultural ones as well. It's a challenge sometimes to all get along, to all give each other the respect we deserve, and when someone new comes we should not allow them to feel intimidated. Shouldn't we "plug them in" to the rest of us as quickly as possible? And try to ever avoid the "us" and "them"'!

It's growth, the kind we pray about, that brings problems like that. Growth in personal ways can be just as up heaving. Suppose you teach your friend about Christ and they obey the gospel call? They've possibly just made many people in their family a whole lot nervous. Family get-togethers may become stressful. Worldly friends might shun them. Isn't that stress from growth? Certainly it is.

But sometimes stress causes growth, too. Children bring stress, and those carefree young people who had stars in their eyes for each other become parents, settle down a little, and in a lot of ways "grow up". That "infatuation love" becomes a family "cherishing love" of such depth it's as if you have fallen in love all over again. Try teaching a class. When it comes to you that so many are relying on you to be prepared that can be a stress, yet your own learning of the topic grows amazingly.

Funny thing about stress. I find I start to pray more often because of stress. And then, while I'm praying about it, I find I start to pray for other things, too, while I'm at it. And eventually I realize that God's going to take care of me, so what was I worried about'? If you do well, shall you not be accepted? Think about it.

Randy