Pie Charts

Pie Charts illustrate proportion and ratio.

I think I am challenged when it comes to reading graphs, charts, and tables.  They need to be really simple for me to grasp what they illustrate.  Statistics can be tricky for me, too.  Pie charts are pretty simple though.  I guess I can relate to pie better than to bars running along parallel lines at different tick marks.  I can easily see that when I draw pieces of pie representing what part of my money is going for groceries and clothing, one piece is bigger than the other.  

When recently asked, "In this relationship, how much space do you take up?" I thought of pie.  If I cut the pie in only two pieces, what size would my piece be, and what size would the other person get?  

It is a good question to ask ourselves about all our relationships -- with our spouses, our children, our friends, and with God.  Pick a relationship. Draw a pie.  Now draw the lines that represent your piece.  What is left for the other person?   You've probably been taught to share equally and not be greedy, so don't be tempted to draw the lines where you think they should be.  Draw them where they are.  

Having trouble knowing where to cut the pies in your life?  Ask yourself some probing questions. 

As a regular pattern in your relationships with spouse or friends, how much talking do you do compared to the amount of listening you do?  It doesn't really matter what the topic is about -- that changes according to need.  And sometimes it is necessary for you to do lots of talking, but as a pattern, in your relationships do you do more talking or listening?  Then perhaps you're taking more than your share of that pie.  And listening doesn't just mean not talking, it means listening, really listening.

The very same question can be asked about your relationships with your children.  As a pattern, are you wanting to teach, tell, correct, instruct more than you are wanting to hear and listen?  If you are, then once again, you may be hogging the pie.

What about your relationship with God?  Is he merely an ingredient in your pie?  Do you carve out a piece for him in the pie that is your life?  When you pray, do you use lots of words in order to explain to Him every detail of what you want Him to do?  After all, he told us to cast all our cares on him, and to let our requests be made known to Him, right?  Give them to Him, yes!  Instruct him on how to answer, no.  

Are you in conversation with God, or do you merely talk to God?  To be conversant with Him (which he invites us to do) we need to hear from Him, and our words back to Him need to be related to what He's told us.  Do you know what He's talking about?  He started the conversation -- are you listening?

Relationships and pie -- a good combination -- next time you get together with someone, give them a big slice!