Are You a Dory or a Piglet?

   Have you ever met a person who is really loud and enjoys talking? I have some friends who are like that. They enjoy letting people know what they are thinking. Have you ever met a person who is really quiet and doesn't talk much? I have friends like this as well. They are content to listen and don't need to talk if the other people want to talk.

   In my years I have had many different friends. What I have noticed is that typically, the friends who enjoy talking are hiding something and the friends who don't talk much have some very profound things to say.
   Let me give you an example of each of these kinds of people: in the movie Finding Nemo there is a fish named Dory. Dory enjoys talking, is typically loud, and likes to be with people. Not long after we meet Dory we find out what she's hiding: she has short term memory loss. Dory freely admits this but what she doesn't admit until later is that she lost her family. Dory wants to find her family but she cannot remember them. She hides this secret and puts aside her needs to help her friend. On the inside Dory is broken and hurting but she still helps others. Dory is a good friend.

   In Winnie-the-Pooh there is a character who doesn't talk too much named Piglet. Piglet isn't that sure of himself but when he talks with Pooh he says many profound things. For example: "The things that make me different are the things that make me ME."  "If there ever comes a day when we can't be together keep me in your heart I'll stay there forever." Piglet does not have much confidence. I mean, he's a tiny animal. But, when he has confidence to open his mouth he is teaching us important lessons. Piglet enjoys helping his friends and he may not even need to talk in order to help. Piglet is a good friend.
   What is the point of this blog? The point is that we need both of these kinds of people. We need people who will step up and be leaders. We need people who will work hard behind the scenes. But, what we need most of all is to help these people grow and make their weaknesses strengths.
   The Piglets of the world can help the Dorys of the world by listening to them. A Piglet can get a Dory to open up because a Piglet enjoys helping others and is usually very wise because they listen a lot. The Piglet can help the Dory heal and move on from past hurts.
   The Dorys of the world can help the Piglets of the world by improving their confidence. Dory could be leading a project and think that maybe she doesn't have the answer, or wouldn't be the best person for a certain job, and she could let Piglet do the job if Piglet is better suited. The Dory could encourage the Piglet to speak up if the Piglet has a thought. Dory can also tell Piglet how great a job he is doing.
   The key for both of these kinds of people is that they care for others. If Piglet doesn't care enough to listen to Dory's problems then Dory could crack under pressure. If Dory doesn't care enough to listen to Piglet when he talks, or encourage Piglet to have confidence, then Piglet may never get out of his comfort zone and make a difference in the world. We need each other. That's why God created more than one human: we are relational beings.
   So, are you a Dory or a Piglet? What can you do to help a friend today? 

   Psalm 139:14 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

   Images from here and here.