Just Being Me

Written by David - Working in the Middle East and with the Media Team

I think one thing that God has been showing me how to do is how to let loose with others. For the last year, I have been grinding away in the West Palm Beach coffee shops pursuing screenwriting or photography aspirations. In the mornings, I would have deep spiritual time with God which helped me become very close to Him. Now that my life is so intertwined with the others around me (because of this internship), being in a sandstone maze of a city on the other side of the world, I think God has permitted me to... in a way... be myself.

Beforehand, I would always try to be as Christlike as possible and literally be like Jesus - even in personality - to the best of my abilities. But now, I’m realizing that it’s okay to be like Christ and to be the person He made me to be all in the same breath. Sometimes the “character” that I am is exactly what others need. He places me with certain attributes and abilities that fit into a group for the sake of the group. This can translate into having aims and goals that might benefit a more grounded goal - such as having as much fun as possible when we’re eating shawarma or playing chess or Connect Four in our downtime. It can also translate into “work moments” - such as being as playful as possible when I’m taking B-Roll shots of a baking class to get the best laughs; or being as directional as possible when leading subjects through the vision of an interview. I don’t have to be deeply spiritual in every conversation that I have if being the best gift that I can be to others is simply letting my character show. And if being the best gift that I can be to others means letting out more of my personality, then maybe that’s something that can express itself in other endeavors such as my creative writing.