From The Storyteller
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Hello All: A confession that all my ideas and observations are not necessarily good one. Enjoy, Doug
Waiting “As good as he is, he sure did a poor job of bringing her in.” Me, commenting on Rudy, a very experienced sailor, docking his sailboat. We’re sitting on Safari (our 36 ft sailboat) tied tight in our slip as we continue to watch Rudy, when suddenly I realize he’s making no effort to correct anything. He simply sits quietly and the wind gently blows his boat into a perfect position. Only then does he move. Which brings me to the idea that sometimes sitting and waiting can be the best action a person can take. Over the last 20+ years I’ve generated an original story or sermon virtually every week, and very few of them started with typing. Actually, those times when I just started typing rather than waiting, the results suffered. Consequently, I begin writing my weekly Shoemaker Story by doing everyday “stuff”, as I wait for a nudge or word to “chew” on. Example: This week’s nudge started with a mental replay of watching Rudy “waiting” for the wind to dock his boat. Since I do not control the time or place these nudges occur, and everyday stuff needs to get done, waiting for a nudge while doing “stuff” seems reasonable. While I believe the source of my nudges is divine, I understand them to be suggestions that can be ignored. Also, I learned early on that not all the ideas that pop into my head have a divine taproot. This makes being able to wait and identify a nudge’s source very important. I found Dr. Phil’s question, “How did that work for you”, very helpful in developing my waiting while listening skills. Yes, trial and error have been two of my greatest learning tools. Moral: While waiting and listening for a nudge maybe difficult to do, it’s a great way to start. |