The Awe of Audacity

Ever notice how little kids will go places and try to do things without any understanding of the possible consequences?  It is a wonder so many of us continue to grow up without permanent injury.  Experience teaches us how to calculate risk, albeit roughly.

If we act the same way when we grow up, people describe us as foolish, or at the very least, "dare devils".  In business, we are told there is reward for calculated risk, but most of the time, the calculations do not produce a profitable result.  Why?  Because most "calculated" risk isn't risk at all.

It is no wonder then, that when we have given our hearts to Jesus, He spends the rest of our earthly lives trying to help us get back to a state of childlike audacity... to not be afraid to take risks in Him; to pursue things that would seem impossible.  The risks are palatable.  People will think you are crazy (and not necessarily in a good way).   You may fall down.  You may actually make a mistake.  Oh my... that happened as a kid and you still grew up!

It is far less nerve-racking to observe audacious faith from the sidelines.  The amazing stories people of faith tell because they dared to step out and trust inspire others.  To be one of those stories means you need to be willing to experience some drama...usually of an unpleasant kind before the miracle comes.  And the glory.   Then the story. 

Consider this an invitation to be His kid, and know you can trust Him.  He will never leave you.  Believe on Him for the impossible... I dare ya.

Success Guaranteed; Tragedy Required

Our view of reality is limited by our constraints of linear time.  We must travel through time in sequence, not skipping any steps.  We cannot see the end from the beginning... and the result is drama.  Drama in that our emotions are very much in the moment.  We feel what we believe is true (irrelevant of whether it is or not).

The greatest stories, successes and achievements all have times in their birth, life and completion that do not look like they will arrive at the finish line.  That is the dramatic excitement of having to travel sequentially.  If we knew the end, it might spoil the plot line.

Last week I witnessed the aftermath of a serious traffic pile up.  Four vehicles stopped at a traffic light were suddenly involved in a chain reaction by a semi tractor trailer that did not brake, resulting in three destroyed vehicles and various minor and serious injuries.  The driver of the truck that failed to stop left the scene with a lot of liability on his (or his company's) shoulders.  His actions created drama and inconvenience for the others. 

For one person in the crash, it may have been a divine appointment.  It was not one he would have chosen.  He incurred losses that would never be recovered.  He is healing in body.  But his vehicle was large, and took the brunt of the tractor trailer behind him.  If he had not been there, the car in front of him would have been far worse than totaled.  That passenger (who walked away) may have met his Maker instead.  All speculation, because we can only see in a straight line of time and will not know until we are no longer bound to it.

In this, tragedies and resulting blessings occur simultaneously.   We can choose to focus on the drama and worry that it won't turn out okay, or we can remind ourselves that it will turn out okay.  Especially if we know Him and have accepted His salvation that was bought by a tragedy on the cross... a tragedy that resulted in the greatest blessing of all time... a way to relationship with the Father.

If you are in the middle of a drama, remember the end of the story, while already written, can take some twists and turns.  Make sure they are the good kind by not losing your obedience.  Hold fast and be steady.  He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above what you expect or think.  You'll see this too.. at the end of the story.

I Think I Am I Think I Can

When we really believe something, that something becomes a powerful force. One of my favorite stories is of George Bernard Dantzig, a student who arrived late for a statistics class and found two problems on the board that he mistook for homework. He took them home, did them and apologized to the teacher as he was a little late handing them in.

They were actually two famous unsolved problems in statistics. George Dantzig was clearly very smart. He may have still been able to solve the equations if he had been told that Einstein had not solved them. But many would conclude that not knowing they had not been solved didn't create an unnecessary hurdle to achievement....and probably helped him do it.

All of us have beliefs that would be impossible to unseat, even in the face of what others believe is convincing evidence. "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still" is an old phrase that captures the strength of a deeply embedded belief.

It makes it all the more important to believe the truth and not lies. May we strive to have our ears open to what is true and closed to what is not. And if there be any lie deeply embedded, may it be dug out, exposed and discarded.

Finishing the Race Like the Animal You Are

You  have surely heard of  the Aesop's Fable "The Tortoise and the Hare."  Whatever you think of the rabbit or the turtle, who was morally superior or more clever or most successful, they BOTH finished the race.

Unfortunately in today's "ever increasing rate of change and information society", we tend to reward the flash in the pan successes.  Our attention span has become so short that the idea of taking more than 6 months to achieve anything seems unbearable.  But some things of value take decades to complete, and much of the work is in obscurity. 

Plodding along with tenacity often requires anonymity, as there are fewer distractions and less hubris potential.  Here you find more of the cut of person that cares little for the spotlight outside of an occasional "Walter Mitty" daydream.   But! Just because someone works behind the scenes does not mean they love working without appreciation.  What do you do when you know what you are doing is important and necessary, but you're also needing some encouragement?

You will find I touch on this topic quite often in this blog, but if you are doing what the Lord has for you, you will find yourself often encouraged by Him if not be others.  That doesn't mean it will always be easy or feel like it is not making a difference, but the thing that He has called you to do, He will complete in you and through you if you remain faithful.

You may be a bit unreliable on your stops and starts, and may even get a bit full of yourself only to find yourself waking up from a self-absorption nap, but you can finish the race.  If we turn the fable upside down, we could say that for some, a steady constant pace works perfectly.  For others, creativity requires some bolts then stops, then fast forwards again.

There is never only one way to achieve a goal.  The best way is not always the fastest way or the steadiest way.  The best way is the way the Lord guides you and you follow.  It might look a bit crazy and illogical, but try to remember Who has the best view of the alpha and omega.  If you have fallen, get up and get back on track.  You CAN finish the race.  Arriving first can be overrated.  Arriving at YOUR first is priceless.

Bobble-heads Don't Roll

So many communication topics one can cover, so little time...  The bane of every relationship, project, organization... lack of effective communication.  Time and experience show that while volume of communication is helpful, it is not the determining success factor.  "Effective" communication is key, and this might mean a polite reminder or a fist to the face, depending on how one defines "effective".  I personally know people that, even if you hit them in the head, would still miss the point.

Communication escalation is only as effective as the receiving party's willingness to believe the consequences will actually occur if messages are not heeded.  Sometimes we don't even mind the consequences.  (When it's already 110 degrees, saying its going to be 120 degrees doesn't really have much impact... unless you say that at 120 degrees, I will no longer have air conditioning).

Another challenge: we have so many messages coming at us, we now have to allocate time to prioritizing how and when to respond.  There is a common belief in the corporate world that if you haven't dealt with a message in "x" number of days you probably won't miss it if it gets deleted.  This assumption certainly trains those sending messages to be less patient; to give the receiver less time to acknowledge or give an answer. 

I never thought I would reach the place where I actually ignore some people when they phone, text or email.  Yes, I confess that sometimes certain people have actually attempted to communicate with me and I have pretended to not get the message.  This is awkward since I do not intend to relegate actual people to junk mail status, but that is exactly what it feels like.  These are the beloved ones that talk "at" you rather than to you... sometimes they are people who think they have some kind of power and authority over you and think they can push an established boundary (yes... a communicated boundary).

On the other hand, it is a scary place when it seems the person or group that is your only source of help refuses to listen.  Note that I said "seems".  Yes, even stalwart believers sometimes forget that there is always ALWAYS One who listens.  We may not like His answer or His timing, but we should trust it is perfect on both counts.  He can move people or problems and is willing to do that when we ask.  So, if you have a bobble head with cotton in his or her ears, try elevating the situation to the Master Communicator.  He will either move you or move some bobble-heads to make the path straight.

The Credit is Due Continuum

Taking credit for an achievement is a tricky thing.  I know people who think that if they announce the accomplishment, they will get credit for it.  They don't actually say this, but their actions point to it.  They mark "achieved" on their objectives.  It seems bizarre, but sometimes people think if they were on the sidelines shouting, "go for it!" that they have single handedly achieved the entire goal.  Others seem reluctant to take credit for the hard work, as if not admitting they worked their butts off means they don't have humility.

How do you know if you're in the center of the "credit is due" continuum?  Answer this question:  does God think you are amazing?  If you automatically answered "no", you might need to move from the "no credit belongs to me side" closer to the center.   If you answered "yes", you're not the right track.  This might seem counter intuitive since the guy I know who takes credit for projects while doing nothing is a Christian.  But if I were to wager, I'd guess he probably doesn't believe God thinks he's amazing.  I would guess he is struggling to feel adequate at all.

God made each of us "fearfully and wonderfully" (Psalm 129:14), which basically means we are individual marvels, unlike anyone else in the universe.  It also means we each carry a unique set of abilities and gifts.  When we are doing what the Lord made us to do, we will excel in that activity. 

But there will always be new places He wants to take us; places where we need practice to excel and we are uncomfortable with the new activity.  If we temporarily do not shine bright in the eyes of humanity because we are growing, we should not despair.

If you truly do know that the Lord sees you as amazing, you also know that you can never DO anything to be amazing.  You are His finished work and you cannot earn your way into amazing.  You can only prove it out for those around you that do not see Him rightly just yet.  To Him be the glory and honor and praise... and the credit for making you amazing.

So Many Chicken Littles Crying Wolf

I'm usually not a squeaky wheel.  In fact, I spend quite a lot of time calming the squeaky wheels around me, talking them off the ledge, giving them the bigger picture and helping them shrink their giant catastrophe down to its real size.  Because I tend to operate in the "let's fix it" mode, I'm not the best person to vent to; I figure you're telling me because you want help, not commiseration.  Perhaps I could do better in the "cry on your shoulder" department.

Some people confuse enthusiasm with the adrenaline rush of mayhem and dramatic panic, so impossible deadlines are created, and all involved are made to feel the sky will fall if deadline is not met.  I'm sure some people employed by the U.S. government had a really bad day today because they could not work.  But the sky did not fall.  Some people were disappointed on a grand scale because they could not realize their lifelong dream vacation to a national park or monument.  But the sky did not fall.  Some Chicken Littles are so intent on being right that if the dire prediction doesn't happen as direly, they will look for some tragedy that can be attributed to it. 

On the other hand, the Chicken Littles of the world can dull us to warnings of real danger.  Since we've had so many "hurry up and wait's" or "disasters averted", it's easy to ignore repeated warnings of trouble on the horizon.  In my eclectic set of friends, I do have a few that are constantly preparing for Armageddon.  I admire their spirit of survival, even if I am prepared to be annihilated.  (I know where I'm going and have yet to see anything worth wanting to be the last human on the planet).  Still, sometimes I feel a little guilty that I'd rather not stock up canned foods then eat them three years beyond the expiration date while cooped up in a bunker.  But I digress...

I'd like to think I model my management style after Heavenly things.  Clear goals, non-inflated timelines, and real consequences.  It is interesting and somewhat amusing to manage like this when everyone else assumes you are not doing these things...until the consequences so calmly stated at the outset come to pass.

A word of encouragement to any of you Chicken Littles out there.  You can save yourself a poor reputation if you do all your clamoring to the Lord and to Him alone.  Your impending calamity may not be mine, and my coming disaster may not effect you, but He is big enough to not only handle our venting, but to make a big thing small and rescue us altogether.