Ice Breaker – The Last Time I Cried

Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question.  The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community.  I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments.  While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.

This week’s question is an oldie but a goodie.  My answer has changed since I originally posted this Ice Breaker question back on October 19, 2011.  This is one of my favorite Ice Breaker questions to ask.  Depending on the answers, the level of community can go real deep with a question like this.

Question:  When was the last time you cried?  And why?

My Answer:  Earlier this week, I shared my Wrecked Creative Expressions.  This was created the same day I last cried.  On July 29, 2012, our team finished the house in Guatemala.  For me, this was the culmination of a lot of hard work, prayer, and team effort.  As I’ve shared here before, it took 2 1/2 days and the hard work of our team of 31 to build the house.  It took over 3 months and a generous blogging community to raise the money to pay for the materials required to build the house.  The dedication service for the family was a moving experience (as I shared before).

After the dedication service, we headed to the center where we ate lunch every day.  As I walked into the center, missionary Dave Sgro asked me how I was doing.  I could barely get my answer out.  I explained the feeling of being “wrecked” over this experience.  I was transformed by the whole experience.  I know we forever changed the lives of the family who received this house.  But my life had been changed as well.  As I grabbed my lunch, I sat off to the side.  The tears were uncontrollable as I tried to collect my thoughts and eat my lunch.  The tears were tears of joy for a feeling of accomplishment.  They were tears of sadness as I didn’t want this part of the experience to be over.  And they were tears of uncertainty not knowing when I would be able to do something like this again.  And that is the last time I cried.

There you have it – my answer.  Now, it’s your turn.  Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment.  I look forward to reading your response!