ISFJ?

My Myers-Briggs personality type is ISFJ.  Sort of.  The S and the J both fluctuate a little with the particular test or time of my life.  So none of the personality-types describes me exactly, but a combination of ISFJ and INFJ describe me pretty well.  So when I saw this post from Landon Whitsitt on ISFJ-ers, I had to laugh a little.  And cry a little.

My favorite quote: "They are often taken for granted and occasionally taken advantage of.  Their tendency to find themselves in situations where they are overburdened often results in ISFJs succumbing to a rash of psychosomatic illnesses."  Great.  That's just great.  At least now I know why I tend toward crazy :)!  Inside my head, at least.  People who don't know me well often mistakenly think I that I am calm.  If only they knew!

Other notable quotes:

• "ISFJs can be found in all communities of faith in the roles that require and encourage service."
• These are definitely the roles I lean toward, though I don't have so many of those roles here - I've held back more in Roanoke, for good or bad.
• "The chances of finding an ISFJ in a larger church would likely be rare because their opportunities to be 'needed' would be fewer."
• This would probably be true of me, though I never thought of it in terms of needing to be needed, if I weren't married to an associate pastor.
• "No one should ever be worried about an ISFJ sacrificing for others – it’s built into the fabric of their self-understanding. What is imperative for the ISFJ to learn, however, is the value of the perspectives of others’ worldviews. Due to their highly developed internal sense of what is proper and good, the ISFJ can cut themselves off from other to such a degree that they begin living in such a way as to constantly reinforce their own senses of safety and certainty."
• This point bothered me at first, and is one point where I don't quite fit the profile because I am pretty good at being a mediator or peacemaker when placed in that role.  BUT, while I recognize and accept differences, I do have a rather strong sense of what is good, even when I don't live up to it.  And I do desire safety and security, often to an unhealthy degree.  So this point is a good reminder to me to be careful that I don't allow my inward sense of rightness to overshadow the value in others (or myself).
•  "ISFJs ... possess strong feeling of inadequacy."
• Yep.

From PersonalityDesk:

Famous ISFJs include Mother Teresa, Barbara Bush, Kristy Yamaguchi, Robert E. Lee (?!), Queen Elizabeth II, and Louisa May Alcott.

Interesting facts about the ISFJ:

■On personality trait measures, score as Conservative, Conventional, Guarded, and Reserved
■Among types most likely to believe in a higher spiritual power
■More likely than average to experience chronic pain
■Among types most likely to suffer heart disease
■Second most common type among education majors in college
■More likely than other types to watch more than 3 hours of television per day
■Personal values include Happy family, Health and Spirituality
■Overrepresented among MBA students and male small business owners
■Among three types with the lowest income
■Commonly found in education, health care, and religious occupations

So apparently I am prone to illness.  And inadequacy.  And business? - definitely not. 

Personality inventories can be fun.  And enlightening.  But they must also be taken a little lightly.  Because my Self cannot be contained in one page geared toward describing 14% of the population.  So I will not worry about my proclivities toward disease, but I will be honest about my tendency toward over-burdening myself (often by dwelling on conflict or sadness or frustration rather than by accepting too many tasks).  And I will be honest about my tendency to live inside my head, making it hard to know me.

And I will be thankful - thankful that God made me to be loving and loyal and compassionate.  Thankful that God has led me toward a job that doesn't stress me out, even when I long for more (what a gift - I can see that I am in a good place, even when it's not the place I would've chosen).  Thankful that I am nurturing and practical and happy to work behind the scenes.  Thankful for my own Self and for the Selves around me who nurture me and challenge me and live out community with me. 

May we love one another, recognizing the divine in ourselves and in each one we meet, no matter how different.