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Becoming…

By Rhonda Trask

Recently, I concluded teaching a 10-week elective class entitled Becoming. Each week focus was placed on a specific element that, if incorporated into our lives, would contribute to greater spiritual development and increase our impact on the world around us. Most weeks, students engaged in stimulating conversation and exchanged  information. One week in particular stood out to me—the week we discussed the importance of “Becoming Real.”

On this day, the class started with participants forming small groups and creating synonyms for the word “real.” Examples of synonyms suggested by the small groups included words like transparency, approachable, genuine, and authentic. Next, group members discussed challenges we face when attempting to be real within our culture. Ideas emerged from this discussion concerning the fear of being misunderstood, insecurity and awkwardness, as well as the amount of time it takes to develop “real” relationships. Out of this last discussion the class took an interesting twist, as we heard a story regarding the importance of taking time to become real with the people God has placed around us.

At my request, my sister-in-law shared her personal experience of becoming real within her neighborhood. Carey told the class that four years ago she felt God impress her to interact with the women in her neighborhood and begin a small group that would simply provide a place for them to connect and converse about their everyday lives, hopes and dreams. For two years, Carey rationalized that she could not implement and lead such a group due to the demands of raising four children (ages 3 years to 9 years), as well as the ministries she was involved with at church. However, after two years of explaining to God why she could not implement His directive, she conceded and inquired if the moms within her neighborhood would be interested in “getting together” at her home on a monthly basis. The response was overwhelmingly yes.

Carey’s group has been meeting regularly for the past two years. During this time span, she has had numerous opportunities to share in a real way with women about who Jesus is, and to bring many of their children to church for various ministry events. Through Carey’s obedience to God, these women have moved from having superficial interaction as they accompanied their children to the bus stop to being women who share genuine relationship one with another. Yes, they have experienced times of awkwardness and challenge within the group, but Carey’s commitment to become real in her neighborhood for the cause of Christ has made and is making an undeniable difference.

Listening to Carey challenged me to reflect on my “realness” quotient in the neighborhood my husband and I moved into last spring. Through this assessment it became clear to me that my well-intentioned smile could be categorized as superficial on most days, and my wave obligatory to neighbors whom I passed on our street while on my way to endless church-related events. My mission and goal is to become real to the people who live beside, across, and down the street from me. Goals are important; yet, to become a reality they require a plan of action. Here is mine: a dessert and coffee night for my neighbors in late winter or early spring of 2008, where I will morph from being the busy pastor’s wife always on her way somewhere to the neighbor with a name (Rhonda), who knows their names, and makes the effort to connect. 

I understand that most likely an event like this will have some no-shows, the group will have moments of awkwardness, and I will need for to delete items from a packed schedule as the night approaches. However, I am committed to becoming real in this way in 2008. How about you?  Is there an area in which you operate (church, neighborhood, community, workplace, family, extended family, other) where God desires you to become real in 2008?

RHONDA TRASK and her husband Brad serve as pastors of Brighton Assembly of God in Michigan.

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