Today I’m over at (in)courage, talking about a game-changer for me when it comes to relationships: a little thing called partial solutions. Heard of them? Maybe not, but you’ve probably experienced them. From the post:
“I found medication that helped and we talked with a therapist for EIGHT solid weeks, and throughout all those hours on the couch that summer in tropical Asia, one word of wisdom resonates in my mind five years later more than any other:
It’s worth it to meet a girlfriend over coffee, even if it’s hard. And it’s worth it to have people over for dinner, even if I don’t feel like it.
Our therapist—let’s call him “Roger,” shall we, because that was his name—called all this a “partial solution.” See, he listened to me bemoan how hard life was in the Middle East, and that I didn’t really have any friends because in a city of four million people and no car, it took too long to get out of the house just to meet a girlfriend for two hours.
He countered with this: yes, life is hard. Yes, we’ve signed up for a strange lifestyle where we’ve said no to most of our creature comforts. But to say “no” because things aren’t exactly how I want them is prideful and unrealistic, and that writing off almost-not-quite was to wave the white flag instead of embracing God’s gifts as surprising.”
Head here to read the rest of the post and to share your experiences in the comments.
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