Introverted People-Helpers

A few years back, I won a copy of Adam McHugh's Introverts in the Church.  {I never win anything, so it was quite the thrill!}  And as I began paging through each chapter, it was like gazing in a mirror into my soul.  I felt affirmed and validated in ways that I had never experienced before.

Someone truly got it.

The reasons I was drawn to {and offended by} certain personalities.  Why I parented the way I did.  The way that deep wounds were so slow to heal.  The clear-as-a-bell calling to move into the role of a pastoral counselor.  How I fit {and didn't fit} into certain roles, especially in the church.  The day-to-day events that brought bright sparks of joy {or huge blankets of exhaustion.} 

And my seemingly endless need for great amounts of solitude and silence. 

Everything became crystal clear as I began to fully appreciate how God had wired me.  I stopped beating myself up.  Quit trying to morph myself into someone I wasn't.  And in accepting myself, I experienced a new freedom and a fresh delight in living in my own skin.

I'm guest blogging on Adam's website today, and to say I'm elated would be just about right.

"If you're in a people-helping profession, you know it can be rewarding, yet draining work.  And if you're an introverted people-helper, you know for sure that you have no choice but to take very good care of yourself if you want to stay in it for the long haul.  If you've experienced burnout in the past, you also know that ..."

I would love it if you'd head over to his site and finish reading the post.  And if you'd leave a comment and let us know you dropped by, I would be so appreciative!

And if you're an introvert, or care about someone who is, I encourage you to make this the next book you curl up with.

Linda