I wasn't particularly interested in exploring conflict management yet again. Was a time that I was dealing with personnel issues at another institution, and skills in that area were necessary. I tire of dealing with conflict, and right now our team is in a good place and functioning well. What do I need of a whole day exploring such issues?
But I just couldn't get it out of my mind. The darn advertisement kept popping up. I rationalized that I already had stuff on my schedule, therefore could not attend. I told myself that I had lots of other projects to work on and this was not a top priority by any stretch of the imagination. But I couldn't help feeling that I should go. When my schedule cleared and I no longer had any excuses, I signed up. After all, as a seminary student, I get to attend for free. Might as well take advantage.
Far from the kind of conflict management I was expected and dreading, this was completely global and addressed how the Christian response to conflict had been infected by cultural thinking that is counterproductive to true resolution. I gleaned lots of helpful ideas from the larger picture that could be useful on a local level and came away newly motivated to conceive of better ways of interaction with others.
Even better than the information gained though, was the community connections with people I have not had time to sit down and talk with. I valued the opportunity to chat with friends. On yet another level, I found myself engaged in conversation with a person I have known awhile who had recently gone through a difficult time in her life. She was obviously stressed and struggling and needed to talk. Just talk.
She started in, but the session began and we had to stop. I told her I would be back. These are the kinds of promises that people renege on. Who would intentionally expose themselves to another's angst when given a get out of jail free card? But I know how important it is to have a place to safely vent. I do go back during break. I began with "You were saying?" and she took it from there.
I let her wind up, get agitated, become verbally explosive, calm down, rationalize, rant, spew, sputter and eventually reach some level of less upset than before talking. I did absolutely nothing except sit still and listen. This, I suspect, is why I felt unable to get away from the idea that I should go to the conference.
Bonus that I actually got so much out of it! I hope she did too.
But I just couldn't get it out of my mind. The darn advertisement kept popping up. I rationalized that I already had stuff on my schedule, therefore could not attend. I told myself that I had lots of other projects to work on and this was not a top priority by any stretch of the imagination. But I couldn't help feeling that I should go. When my schedule cleared and I no longer had any excuses, I signed up. After all, as a seminary student, I get to attend for free. Might as well take advantage.
Far from the kind of conflict management I was expected and dreading, this was completely global and addressed how the Christian response to conflict had been infected by cultural thinking that is counterproductive to true resolution. I gleaned lots of helpful ideas from the larger picture that could be useful on a local level and came away newly motivated to conceive of better ways of interaction with others.
Even better than the information gained though, was the community connections with people I have not had time to sit down and talk with. I valued the opportunity to chat with friends. On yet another level, I found myself engaged in conversation with a person I have known awhile who had recently gone through a difficult time in her life. She was obviously stressed and struggling and needed to talk. Just talk.
She started in, but the session began and we had to stop. I told her I would be back. These are the kinds of promises that people renege on. Who would intentionally expose themselves to another's angst when given a get out of jail free card? But I know how important it is to have a place to safely vent. I do go back during break. I began with "You were saying?" and she took it from there.
I let her wind up, get agitated, become verbally explosive, calm down, rationalize, rant, spew, sputter and eventually reach some level of less upset than before talking. I did absolutely nothing except sit still and listen. This, I suspect, is why I felt unable to get away from the idea that I should go to the conference.
Bonus that I actually got so much out of it! I hope she did too.
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