This weekend we (the summer interns and our coordinator) went to the shore. We stayed in Cape May at Julie's uncle's house...Julie has connections. It seems like she has a cousin for everything. Want some free dirt? Julie can find it. Want a great recipe? Hold on, she'll get her phone. Need directions to a sporting event in another town? She's got somebody who can get you there.
Ok, enough of that tangent. Julie is great.
This is really about the weekend. We spent Saturday at the shore and, despite multiple applications of sunscreen, we all came home crisped. Bad. High on our priority list Saturday evening was finding aloe. But we are doing well now. The sunburn has lessoned. Tenderness should be gone in a day or so. For most of us, at least. I, being the fairest of them all, managed to blister. I know, not good. Especially when one has a history of skin cancer in the family. But at least I know what borderline sun-stroke feels like.
I'll be fine. Just don't touch me. Or my aloe.
Another tense situation came up this weekend as well. This one, between the two most opposite personalities in our group, has actually been building all summer. The one is a planner, likes to know what's going on when, likes to have at least a skeleton schedule set out. Still, despite the appearance of Type A organization, he really isn't as structured as he seems. He just isn't as loose as the other person. (Wow, I'm being rather vague.) Person 2 is the most spontaneous (and liberal) person here. She likes to go do rather than stand around and make decisions. She doesn't do the whole let's-make-a-plan thing. The fact that Person 1 likes to have plans drives her crazy.
Hence the problem at the shore. Persons 1, 2, and 3 were on the boardwalk making a decision. Person 1 wanted to decide and then act, Person 2 wanted to act and decide on the way. Person 3 has a problem with conflict. Person 3 decided they were both grown adults and stepped aside because I didn't want to get in the middle of it.
It has been interesting to watch their interactions this summer. I think both have been doing a lot of compromising. Frankly, I'm surprised we didn't have problems earlier. I keep thinking, though, of that verse--the one about being all things to all men--and how it's not just important for witnessing to non-believers. It is important in fellowship with believers as well.
I'm still chewing over this one. More to come.