I’m A Little Triangle

So I met Tim Keller today.  He’s the pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.  And I finally understand why so many people appreciate his teachings.  Today at work I had a lot of data entry to do, so by the end of the day I had eaten three jelly donuts and listened to three of his free online sermons – talk about feeding yourself both spiritually AND physically.  (Wow, was that remark cheesy or what!?)

No but really, I listened to Christianity and the Creative Age, Arguing About Politics, and Writing From a Christian Worldview.  And wow, it was so refreshing!  Felt like I got transported to a seminary class for the afternoon.

I enjoyed all three sermons, but I found Christianity and the Creative Age to be extra helpful in some areas of personal refinement and acceptance.  The sermon is actually from 2006 but still completely relevant to today.  In fact I didn’t know it was from back then until after I was finished listening.

It was so helpful because I think recently I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself; pressure to succeed and pressure to have everything I want in exactly the way I want it right now; not tomorrow, but now.  Sounds stressful, right?  And I think that a lot of this pressure has come from trying to fit me, Erin: a triangle, into a rectangular box.

Now, the rectangle isn’t a bad shape.  In fact, there are lots of rectangles that I’ve been trying to be like because the rectangles are really good and talented and etc. etc. etc.  However, the triangle is just as good and talented and etc. etc. etc., but it’s just a different shape.  The triangle is meant to be triangle and the rectangle is meant to be a rectangle.  Welcome to pre school Erin – pull up a carpet square for a lesson in Self Acceptance 101.

The sermon covered a lot of ground, but in one part Dr. Keller described the characteristics of creative people and how they can use their creativity to better the Kingdom.  I think that’s where it really clicked.  Because lately I think I’ve been trying to succeed in the same ways the rectangles succeed in, rather than simply asking myself: What do I love to do and how can I use it for the Kingdom? 

Today’s sermon came at the perfect moment because honestly I was getting really tired trying to look like a rectangle all the time.  So today I’m feeling inspired to dream about all the ways that God could use a funky little triangle like myself.

***fyi: Tim Keller never mentions triangles, rectangles or self acceptance in his sermon.  Those were my own brilliant analogies.  His were a bit more refined.