🌿 Tuesday | Gathered Along the Way - Everybody Was New Once

🌿 Tuesday | Gathered Along the Way

Everybody Was New Once

Have you ever walked into a room where everybody seemed to know exactly what they were doing?

Everybody except you.

They know where things go.

They know the terminology.

They know the people.

They know the unwritten rules.

And you’re standing there trying to figure out whether there’s a particular place you’re supposed to sit or if you’re about to commit some terrible social offense by choosing the wrong chair.

I remember my first Accreditation meeting…😅

😂

I think we’ve all been the new person.

The new employee.

The new neighbor.

The new momma.

The new student.

The person trying something for the first time.

And goodness, there is nothing quite like learning something new to remind us how much we don’t know.

Take sourdough.

my first loaves! 🫣

People who have been baking for years can toss around words like hydration, bulk fermentation, levain, and stretch-and-fold as casually as they’re discussing the weather.

Meanwhile, somebody just starting out is wondering whether their jar of flour and water is supposed to smell like that.

And whether it’s alive.

And whether they’ve somehow killed it.

Welcome to sourdough. 😂

But here’s something I think we forget once we’ve become comfortable.

Every person who knows what they’re doing was once a person who didn’t.

Every experienced employee had a first day.

Every good cook burned something.

Every skilled craftsman made something crooked.

Every confident person has stood somewhere feeling completely out of place.

And somebody, somewhere along the way, probably made it a little easier.

They explained something without making the person feel foolish.

They offered a seat.

They introduced them around.

They answered the question.

Maybe even the same question twice.

What a gift that is.

I’ve been thinking about how much power we have to make someone feel welcome—or terribly uncomfortable—without ever saying anything particularly memorable.

A smile.

An introduction.

A little patience.

An invitation to join in.

Small things, perhaps.

But to the person standing on unfamiliar ground, they can mean everything.

So the next time somebody doesn’t know what seems obvious to us, maybe we remember.

We didn’t always know either.

And if somebody is brave enough to ask, let’s be kind enough to answer.

Without the eye roll.

Without the sigh.

Without making them feel like they’ve just asked how to turn on a toaster.

Although, with some of these new appliances, that might actually be a reasonable question.

😂

🧭 Compass Note

Everybody is a beginner somewhere.

Knowledge is wonderful.

Experience is valuable.

But neither gives us permission to make somebody else feel small.

Remember who helped you learn.

Then be that person for somebody else.

📖 Compass Verse

“Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us…”

— Romans 15:7 NASB

🙏 Compass Prayer

Lord,

Thank You for the people who have patiently taught, encouraged, and welcomed me along the way.

Help me remember what it feels like to be new.

Give me patience when someone needs an explanation, kindness when someone makes a mistake, and humility to remember how much I still have to learn.

May people feel more capable, more comfortable, and more welcome after spending time with me.

Amen. 🧡

Find Your Way Home.
~Karen
The Twisted Compass
Notice More. Love Well. Gather Often.