Would You Rather

 

 Would you rather go to the doctor or the dentist?

Would you rather be popular or smart?

Would you rather have a root canal or a colonoscopy?

Would you rather eat a brownie or broccoli?

These were just some of the questions asked at our Women's Retreat this past weekend during a game called (you guessed it), Would You Rather . . . 

We laughed until we ached as we learned about each other, and maybe even a little bit more about ourselves. 

There was one question that had us talking long after the game had ended. 

Would you rather be alone on a deserted island or
with someone you really don't like? 

The group was pretty equally divided. Interestingly it depended on our interpretation. 

Those who, like me, assumed that I would be found and rescued were more comfortable with the idea of being there alone. 

Those who thought they would be there for the rest of their lives, thought they would rather have someone with whom they could interact even if it was less than friendly. 

Some were used to lots of alone time, so they weren't concerned about the solitude. 

Some thought about doubling survival skills by having the additional person along. 

Truthfully, I think it depended on personality . . . 

• The Sanguine - couldn't imagine a party by themselves.
• The Choleric - couldn't imagine all of their leadership abilities going to waste.
• The Melancholy - couldn't imagine perfection with someone they didn't like. 
• The Phlegmatic - couldn't imagine giving up their need for peace and dealing with all of that tension. 

My favorite response came from a dear friend who would choose to be with a person they didn't like. She said, "I'd just learn to like them."

How cool is that?!

We often believe that our personality gives us an excuse to give in to our strengths and weaknesses; when we should be striving to thrive in our strengths and improve our areas of weakness. 

Praise God for His loving patience! 

We are blessed that the Lord never gives up on us. He faithfully provides opportunities for growth. I can't say that I'm always a fan of the lessons He provides, but I am always thankful when a debility becomes an ability. 

One of the many lessons I learned at our retreat is to listen carefully and keep an open mind. It would be much better to end up with a new friend than to be stuck on a deserted island all alone. 

The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life;a wise person wins friends. Proverbs 11:30

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