transcendence and eminence

reed laughed for the first time yesterday.
we spent time having other friend's babies' at our house, requiring a minimal amount of dust and dander on the floor to create the best crawling around environment..
having people over is always such a wonderful way to connect and meet in the midst of busy lives. coffee shops can only offer so much that make a person reveal their "trueness".
one couple who lives down the street is home on furlow from Indonesia. they have been a ray of sunlight to us, and a social outlet now that I am home with little public access like being in downtown. they are simple in the way they live and laid back in the things they expect socially. yet completely aware and focused as to why they are here (on Earth) and what their purpose is as parents. i enjoy talking about baking bread with Christy and learning about the villages in Indonesia.
one of dirk's college friends stopped by with his little boy and though the conversation had sprinklings of college reminiscence, the majority of the talk focused around the boys at their feet. they seemed to have a peace and calmness about them, that I wonder if the same was true for them back in the day- maybe so, just a different kind of calm? maybe more authentic now?
another couple left a few hours ago, and it's always interesting to meet the "new bf". he talked sports with dirk and made some passionate 80's references...all after boldly professing that ministry professions are highly overrated and overpaid amongst other accusations. the pastor books on the shelf seemed to trigger the conversation- which is interesting, because in my mind, that would be the sure thing to KEEP me from entering that conversation. anway, after hearing more about his "story", I understood where the anger and bluntness came from. the words didn't hurt or cause discomfort, just made for an interesting night.
Throughout all of the social interactions, it has been nice to watch what makes one anxious, calm, understanding of others and so on. Sometimes I find that I have so little in common with the person in front or beside me, but Christ unifies in that He is the same Saviour to them as to me. It has been a stretching experience for me to enjoy the company of others who I might not align myself with: politically, religiously, morally, socially or the like. It is necessary, I believe to be in the midst of others that are different (after all, no one is JUST like you, are they?) and be able to appreciate or consider what makes them tick, what makes them embittered, what makes them smile. After all, Jesus sat amongst the multitudes- that of which none were like him in any way shape or form. Did he yearn for someone- just one like minded person to shoot the breeze with? Dirk calls it "transcendence and eminence"- which I think sounds good. I need to be stretched to listen to the person in front of me that enjoys show tunes and Nascar. Why? Not so I can expand my friendship repertoire, but so I can show Christ's love and model that by knowing or understanding this person more than trying to make myself understood by others..