Day Two: “What a Difference Several Years Makes”
When Tom and I first started dating, it was an interesting convergence of two totally different worlds. Funny enough, as I typed these words, my AI Grammar Check suggested “exciting” instead of “interesting.” And while I sometimes take AI’s advice on word choices, this time, it was sort of right—there was some excitement in the mix. But the word I intended to use was “interesting.”
Early in our relationship, it quickly became clear that one of us would inevitably ask the other to attend or participate in something unfamiliar. And because we both wanted to be open-minded and supportive, the answer was almost always “yes.”
In that first season, I found myself attending NASCAR races, baseball games, soccer matches, trying out German restaurants, and tagging along to more car shows and car auctions than I ever knew existed (seriously, how many are there?).
On the flip side, Tom willingly joined me at performances of Les Miserables, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. He also sat through more than his share of rom-coms, horror movies, reality TV shows, and endured quite a bit of lost time while I looked for my keys.
Our mantra became, “I’m open to trying that.”
But time passed.
Now, not that my feelings toward Tom have changed or lessened in any way—if anything, they’ve deepened—but my response to these invitations has shifted. There’s a comfort and safety in our relationship that allows me to say “no” when I’m really not interested (mainly, NASCAR). While it is good that I (or we) don’t feel the need to force myself/ourselves into something just to accommodate one another, at the same time, we have a tendency to be less open to trying and exploring new things.
It is easy as human beings to settle into a relationship that is comfortable instead of open.
What if we apply this idea to our relationship with God?
In Rob Bell’s chapter on “open,” he invites us to consider that maybe the point of faith isn’t having everything nailed down.
Maybe faith is about living open to the mystery.
Open to possibilities we hadn’t considered.
Open to the ideas that God did not create and speak 4000+ years ago and then suddenly stop!
Just like in our relationships, it’s easy for our relationship with God to become comfortable and one of “routine.” We relish in what we know and what feels familiar. We stay within those boundaries.
But what if God is inviting us into something deeper? What if, instead of sticking with the safe and familiar, we choose to live open to God’s continued movement?
Faith isn’t static. It’s not about arriving at a destination where we’ve figured it all out. It’s about remaining open to the mystery of who God is and believing that God is still speaking—still creating, still surprising us with new ideas, new paths, new ways of encountering divine love.
Being open doesn’t mean we throw out everything we’ve learned or experienced. It means we remain willing to stretch beyond what’s comfortable. It’s about saying, “I’m open to trying that,” when God nudges us toward something unfamiliar, something beyond the boundaries we’ve set for ourselves.
What areas of your life and faith can you reexplore? Where are you comfortable, and so much so that perhaps you’ve closed off parts of you to new development and new depth of faith?
Growth and connection come when we remain open.
Open to the mystery. Open to the unexpected. Open to a God who is still speaking and creating in ways that we could never imagine.
So, what if we made “I’m open to that” our new faith mantra? What if, instead of settling into what we know, we stayed curious, stayed open, and allowed God to keep surprising us?
Who knows? You might even end up enjoying car shows, soccer, and have new adventures and memories in life! Open . . . . We can all be open to that!