The Power of Relationships

My name is Chip Roberson and I have been teaching for 38 years.  I taught Psychology and Peer Counseling.  I believe this blog has become my new classroom.  It will basically pertain to understanding the story of our lives.

Our stories tell us who we are, why we are here and what we are to do.  This is why, if you want to know someone, you need to know his or her story.  Their life is a story, and it too has a past and a future.  It too unfolds in a series of scenes over the course of time.

I want this blog to be a place of safety and freedom for people who care and for hurting people to be who they are authentically - whether crazed, sick, sad, lonely, desperate or just in need of loving human touch and a little hope.

Often, the best stories aren't when someone pulls one 180-degree turn, but when someone pulls 180 one-degree turns; the stories when someone experiences a slow and, at times, indistinguishable evolution; the stories where  a million tiny steps produce something so brilliant; the stories where perseverance and struggle go hand in hand.

Helen Keller once said, "The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision."

To have vision and understanding one must understand the other person's story, which has great influence on their beliefs.  You don't get to choose your parents, your race or your skin color.  You don't choose your language or economic condition when you are born into this world.  You don't get any say about the beginning of your life journey, but you have a great deal to say about the destination of your journey and how that journey shapes you.  Our stories tell us who we are, why we are here, and what we are to do do.  If you want to know someone you need to know his or her story.

I realized that, maybe, the greatest thing I can do for someone is not try to convince them that I can be trusted or that God is who they hope for, but maybe the greatest thing I can do for someone is invite them into my life to see god in me and let them decide those things for themselves.  I realized that, maybe; the greatest thing I can offer someone is an invitation in.

Many of my topics and thoughts have come from numerous authors, mentors, pastors, friends and trainings.  I just want to share these various experiences.  I want to share stories and try to understand why you believe what you believe and do it with an open heart and mind.  When you are done I hope that I would have a new friend whether we agree on issues or not.

My advice would be to get a journal to write out your thoughts, so as to ponder them over.   I think you should write out your story, to answer the questions:  What did I learn from my experience and what am I going to do with it?  In the next blog I will give you some thoughts about how to write your story.