Irritation or Intrigue: You Choose (Part 2 on Story)

The Allender Center Podcast

The Allender Center

Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Mental Health, Christianity, Trauma, Health & Fitness, Theology

4.6 • 628 Ratings

🗓️ 9 September 2017

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, Dan and his wife, Becky Allender, think back to the way in which one of their brief interactions led not only to confusion but to a deeper sense of irritation toward each other’s stories. As they recognized and named their everyday stories, those that too often get overlooked, they were able to move past avoidance and gain understanding and empathy. The episode ends with this encouragement and challenge: we all have a choice to make in each of our relationships—to approach another’s story with a sense of irritation or with genuine intrigue. What we choose will dictate the way in which our lives intersect with others.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to the Allender Center podcast with Dr. Dan Allender. This week, Dan and his
0:08.9	wife, Becky Allender, think back to one of their brief interactions as a couple, a moment that brought
0:14.9	both confusion and a deeper sense of irritation toward each other's stories. As they reflected on the ways in which their
0:21.9	stories have shaped them, especially those that too often get overlooked, they were able to move
0:27.5	past avoidance and gain understanding and even empathy. The episode ends with this encouragement
0:33.7	and challenge. We all have a choice to make in each of our relationships.
0:38.6	To approach another story with a sense of irritation or with genuine intrigue,
0:44.0	what we choose will dictate the way in which our lives intersect with others.
0:50.9	Last week we had the opportunity to talk about a heartbreaking, just overwhelming
0:58.0	story of harm in Houston and in the environment of the Gulf States.
1:04.9	And the story is anything but over.
1:08.6	In fact, as it continues, in many ways, the level of damage, the individual
1:15.5	and corporate stories will need to be engaged again and again and again. I think it's one of the
1:21.6	realities that we face with regard to overwhelming catastrophic stories. We're overwhelmed, and yet we feel in some
1:31.4	ways almost possessed by the story. We get exhausted, and then eventually we find ourselves with a
1:38.0	kind of empathetic fatigue, and we move on. And there's always new stories and new stories that bring us great heartache.
1:48.7	And so as we enter into this series on story, it's so very important to hear.
1:54.6	We are dealing with catastrophic stories, but we're also dealing with the day-to-day interactions that somehow, even though
2:04.9	they are lesser, they don't seem as significant by any comparison to all the horror that's
2:12.6	going on in Houston. Nonetheless, it's where we live. I mean, one of the things that we have seen on TV are just stories of heroism, kindness, neighbor-to-neighbor care.
2:27.6	And they are just, they are heartwarming.
2:31.5	Yes, and just seeing how people from different states are coming in, driving in to help
	...

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