Reconciliation

Mentors – agents of reconciliation

As a fan of the Seattle Mariners baseball team, I anticipated a strong 2015 season.  They already had a very strong pitching rotation, and acquired outstanding batter Nelson Cruz.  However, they struggled quite a bit; the most notable disappointment was the performance of Robinson Cano, a strong leader during the 2014 season.

Just before the All-Star Break, the Mariners hired Mariners Hall of Fame member, Edgar Martinez, as the batting coach.  During an interview, Robinson Cano commented on the new hire with great anticipation.  He obviously considered Edgar as more than a hitting coach — as a mentor.

I agree with the statement, “you are where you are today, because you chose to be here.”  Mentors are called upon when a person realizes that their current situation is the result of their own understanding and choices, and that it falls short of their desired situation.  They may lack the knowledge, experience or motivation required to implement the necessary change.  Mentors help align (or reconcile) our lives with the results we hope to experience.

In my opinion, everyone benefits from at least one mentor in their life, someone they trust to challenge their current ways of thinking, communicating and behaving.  Most of us desire to grow in at least one area of our lives, and that usually involves thoughts and activities we have not implemented before.  Mentors lend a hand in getting us to the next step of growth.

I recently heard of a ministry called Love Inc of Pierce County (Washington State), which has a mentoring program to help folks secure lasting employment.  Realizing this means more than just getting them hired, the ministry emphasizes guidance in how people think, communicate and behave.

Helping a person experience new life involves reconciling what they believe about their identify how they talk to and about others, the choices they make, habits they have and how they behave.  Persevering with them through these changes, empathizing while prodding, is an investment worth the effort.

Regardless of what your life is like today, choosing a mentor will certainly help ensure your success; being a mentor will help ensure the success of another.  Having a mentor promotes growth in your own life; being a mentor promotes growth in another’s life.  Be mentored, and be a mentor.

Be reconciled!

Reconciliation

My first checking account (at age 14) came with a check register.  Before the age of electronically tracked debit-card transactions, the owner of a checking account used this device to keep track of the funds they had available to spend.  It was fun at first, making each entry and bringing the balance forward. The “fun” soon wore off, as did consistent practice.

My first bank statement came with detailed instructions on how to reconcile my account.  Put simply: compare what you believe to be true (my register) with what the bank believed (the statement).  This reconciliation gave me insight into the true state of my checking account.  As long as my belief and the bank’s belief could be reconciled, things were fine; if this wasn’t possible, trouble would certainly result.  Reconciliation was essential to maintaining a healthy relationship with the bank.

I now believe that reconciliation is essential to success in all aspects of life.  Let me repeat that: reconciliation is essential to success in ALL aspects of life.  Reconciliation exposes one person’s belief to another, giving each of them opportunity to gain understanding.  When we are reproved by another person, reconciliation corrects unhealthy behaviors and heals relationships.  After hearing of a new idea or approach, reconciliation produces new results which can be evaluated.

Reconciliation does not necessarily mean full acceptance of other beliefs, but does result in understanding of discrepancies.  When my recollection of an event differs from another’s, reconciliation is understanding and accepting the discrepancies.  It includes understanding of how those discrepancies affect communication, behavior and our relationship.

Once, while riding my motorcycle to work, as  I was taking a right-hand turn into a parking lot, a taxi cab came from behind and struck me while attempting to pass me on the right.  The cab stopped, and the driver immediately apologized but stated that it wasn’t his fault.  I was able to quickly reconcile our beliefs about what happened.  Noting the discrepancy and how it would impact our relationship, I politely chose not to engage in discussion and instead waited for the police to arrive.

I often find my belief about life, specifically my life, exposed to what other people believe to be true.  These are opportunities for reconciliation, or if you like, self-evaluation.  At the least this practice allows me to accept the differences between us and work within the limitations.  Even better is when it results in unity — adjusting our beliefs to be one and the same.  I find that the quality of each aspect of my life is directly related to the practice of reconciliation.  You may find this true for yourself.

Be reconciled!

Welcome!

The variety of things I have wanted to publish online caused me to put off posting to my blog.  I was also concerned about starting a blog without a clear purpose.  Recently, however, my daughter started The Rusty Dog, a blog about her adventures with foster dogs (which I HIGHLY recommend, even for those not interested in dogs), which has inspired me to get started.

I struggled for quite a while, wanting to begin with a topic that establishes well the cornerstone of my beliefs, However, I found that virtually impossible.  Every belief is supported by many others, is only understood well in the context of the rest; they only hold together as a whole.  Reading my posts will be like watching an artist work on a huge canvas, moving from one seemingly random section to another, painting just enough in each to somewhat make sense on its own, leaving a feeling there is more yet to be displayed.  Only as section grow in size and detail, intersecting with others, does the observer begin to truly understand what the artist saw from the very start.

I now believe we are all like this: others only truly know and understand us if they have shared many varied life experiences with us, over time.  So my blog will contain many varied topics, from philosophy and theology, to family and relationships, to jobs and software development, and much more.  However, I believe there is one common theme that will run throughout my posts, regardless of the topic: reconciliation.  I believe all life is about reconciliation.  Hence, the title of my blog, “Life Reconciled”.

While I invite questions, comments and suggestions, and will be willing at times to “defend” my beliefs, this is primarily a venue for those interested in what I have to share, not for comparing or scrutinizing various beliefs.  My hope is my blog will be a resource for family, friends, acquaintances and future generations to learn who I truly am; for me to pass on the little understanding, wisdom and knowledge I have collected through my short life here on earth.

I hope you choose to visit often, as it will give me the opportunity to get to know you, as well.

Be reconciled!