Outward Faced. My husband used this term a lot at our previous church plant. Being outward faced is the discipline of looking for opportunities to reach out to others. Not an inward focus but an outward focus. It means getting dirty sometimes and sometimes it means being uncomfortable. But there’s nothing more satisfying than when we are serving those around us and reaching out to the marginalized.
Being outward faced for me and Sophie today meant having lunch with this little girl. I go every Thursday to sit across from her sectioned off cafeteria tray and hear all about the highs and lows of her week. She goes to a different school than Sophie and because Sophie is already out of school she got to go with me. They met last week for the first time.
Honestly, it was uncomfortable for Sophie at first. Just like it was for me that first time. As Sophie started processing all the new faces, the larger school and the lunchroom experience she started clinging to me and hanging all over me like a monkey. As my lunch buddy was going through the cafeteria line I quickly told Sophie that I needed her to sit next to me and not hang on me. This was not about her but about sending love and encouragement to another little girl.
A few minutes later my lunch buddy was sitting across from me and Sophie. There was a moment of awkward silence. Both girls checking each other out. Wondering how they would respond to each other. Suddenly something came over Sophie and she started peppering my lunch buddy with questions. “What’s your favorite thing to do?” and “how many brothers and sisters do you have?” etc. That brought on a great conversation and then I hear Sophie say, “Wow, we’re a lot a like, we could be sisters!”
This week Sophie brought my lunch buddy a friendship bracelet she made for her. She had a huge grin on her face. We talked, played a card game and shared our highs and lows of the week. And then we said goodbye.
Outward faced.
It started out uncomfortable for both me and Sophie but now it feels right and normal. And I’m convinced it’s because we are doing what we were created to do.
I found this great article about ways to be outward faced this summer. I’m really hoping to incorporate some of these things with our family this summer. I have good intentions but don’t always get around to them. This is where I struggle in being outward faced. I want to be…..I just don’t always follow through.
This is beautiful, an encouragement to me, to read a tangible way you and your daughter are learning to live outward faced. I resonate so much with your confession that you have good intentions but don’t always get around to living this way. On days I do listen to this call and live it, it’s so life-giving to me – regardless of how it is for the other person/people. It’s the heart of the gospel, and I appreciate this reminder today.
Amber….so nice to meet you! I poked around your blog tonight and love you already. You say it well when you say the heart of the gospel is so life-giving. And I want to be about that more and more.