An Alaska a little boy went on an afternoon fishing expedition with his father. When the sight of the shore started to shrink away, the child asked, “Daddy is the water over my head?” The father laughed and replied, “Way over your head, son.”
A few moments later came the next question, “Daddy, is it over your head, too?” This time the father heard the change in his son’s voice. The father killed the boat’s engine and sat down next to his boy. “Yes, son, it’s quite a bit over my head, too.” After a few moments, the father asked, “Son, do you want to know anything else?” The boy asked the big question, “Is the water over God’s head?” The father shared that no, water could never be over God’s head.
Life is full of transitions – moving, starting a new school year, getting married, becoming a parent, losing a loved one, starting a new job, being laid off. It’s important to let God help you in the midst of your transitions. Don’t worry that it’s wrong to be going through a crisis. In fact, it’s normal to undergo many different crisis situations in life.
Remind yourself that God sees your destination, but you can only see one step at a time. Understand that God has a purpose for allowing you to go through each crisis; he will be with you along the way. Ask God to reveal His timing for when you might leave a situation and begin a new one.
Have courage to act according to what’s best, rather than according to pressure from others. If you leave your old set of circumstances, ask God to heal your spirit so you don’t enter new circumstances carrying old wounds. Acknowledge God as the ultimate source of everything you have and trust Him to provide everything you need for making a transition.
Don’t limit the ways in which you invite God to work in your life. Be open to accepting His creativity. Remember, anything is possible with God. The water is never over His head.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The Most Important Lesson
A nursing student shares a profound memory from her academic career. “During my second month of nursing school,” she wrote, “our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?
“Surely, this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. ‘Absolutely,’ said the professor. ‘In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello’. I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.” ~ author unknown
The nurse’s professor echoes the challenge and promise of Jesus.
If you want to be great, serve. Jesus reminds us “whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” To call someone by name is to affirm the person’s dignity, uniqueness and significance. If we need to ask again, “What’s your name?” have the humility to do so. If you meet someone new, focus on that person. Forget about impressing; take a genuine interest. Try this. Say the person’s name three times in conversation. Notice the color of the person’s eye. Hear yourself say the name out loud.
A person’s name is the difference between a stranger and a friend; the difference between a prospect and your newest customer.
Remembering names isn’t necessarily about having a good memory. It’s more about caring enough to have a trained memory. Don’t get discouraged if later today you find yourself forgetting the name of someone you just met. This habit takes practice. And it’s a habit we can master. Our Lord called us by name. Let’s imitate Him by following this divine practice.
“Surely, this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. ‘Absolutely,’ said the professor. ‘In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello’. I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.” ~ author unknown
The nurse’s professor echoes the challenge and promise of Jesus.
If you want to be great, serve. Jesus reminds us “whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” To call someone by name is to affirm the person’s dignity, uniqueness and significance. If we need to ask again, “What’s your name?” have the humility to do so. If you meet someone new, focus on that person. Forget about impressing; take a genuine interest. Try this. Say the person’s name three times in conversation. Notice the color of the person’s eye. Hear yourself say the name out loud.
A person’s name is the difference between a stranger and a friend; the difference between a prospect and your newest customer.
Remembering names isn’t necessarily about having a good memory. It’s more about caring enough to have a trained memory. Don’t get discouraged if later today you find yourself forgetting the name of someone you just met. This habit takes practice. And it’s a habit we can master. Our Lord called us by name. Let’s imitate Him by following this divine practice.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Take a Seat: Heaven or Hell?
“Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like,” said a holy man who conversed with the Lord one day. The Almighty led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water.
But the people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, ‘You have seen Hell.’
They then went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, “I don’t understand.” “It is simple” said the Lord, “In this place the people have learned to feed one another.” (author unknown, http:// www.inspirationpeak.com)
Those who learned to feed one another realized the importance of both receiving and giving. Sometimes we can struggle more with the receiving facet of the relationship. To receive one must acknowledge a need – a vulnerability that gifts the giver with importance and value. To always have it “all together” builds a distance with those who care the most for us. If we are authentic and approachable, we must remove the mask of certitude. We can only get so close to someone who fronts that image of the always capable spouse, colleague, or friend.
Our story depicts heaven as a place where everyone is vital to the success of the group. In the pecking order of our businesses, we can stop listening, stop inquiring, stop including the thinking of those “below a certain prestige level.” The front line people who implement the procedures, who get the feedback from the customers are too often excluded from the important meetings and decisions. If we really believe we can be fed by “our subordinates” at the table, we will invite them to meetings with decision makers; we will encourage their feedback; and we will create a culture of ownership that wants accountability.
Arthur W. Jones observed: “All organizations are perfectly aligned to get the results they get.” Are people reaching across the table with their long spoons nourishing each other or are they suffering from futile behavior driven by their own ambition? While such questions deserve a rigorous review of company culture, here are a few practical suggestions to nourish people’s ability to give and receive – to create those moments of heaven on the job!
1. Answer colleague’s emails and voice messages within one business day.
2. Evaluate staff meetings – just because everyone seems pleasant doesn’t mean staff find the meetings valuable.
3. Reward risk takers by celebrating their journey – even before the results are in
4. If you can’t meet a deadline, get released from your promise.
5. Give specific compliments – you will make two people happy.
6. Always keep people in the loop – even if their piece of the project is minor.
7. Before passing on information about another ask yourself, “What is my intent?”
8. Never miss an opportunity to say “Thank You.”
But the people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, ‘You have seen Hell.’
They then went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, “I don’t understand.” “It is simple” said the Lord, “In this place the people have learned to feed one another.” (author unknown, http:// www.inspirationpeak.com)
Those who learned to feed one another realized the importance of both receiving and giving. Sometimes we can struggle more with the receiving facet of the relationship. To receive one must acknowledge a need – a vulnerability that gifts the giver with importance and value. To always have it “all together” builds a distance with those who care the most for us. If we are authentic and approachable, we must remove the mask of certitude. We can only get so close to someone who fronts that image of the always capable spouse, colleague, or friend.
Our story depicts heaven as a place where everyone is vital to the success of the group. In the pecking order of our businesses, we can stop listening, stop inquiring, stop including the thinking of those “below a certain prestige level.” The front line people who implement the procedures, who get the feedback from the customers are too often excluded from the important meetings and decisions. If we really believe we can be fed by “our subordinates” at the table, we will invite them to meetings with decision makers; we will encourage their feedback; and we will create a culture of ownership that wants accountability.
Arthur W. Jones observed: “All organizations are perfectly aligned to get the results they get.” Are people reaching across the table with their long spoons nourishing each other or are they suffering from futile behavior driven by their own ambition? While such questions deserve a rigorous review of company culture, here are a few practical suggestions to nourish people’s ability to give and receive – to create those moments of heaven on the job!
1. Answer colleague’s emails and voice messages within one business day.
2. Evaluate staff meetings – just because everyone seems pleasant doesn’t mean staff find the meetings valuable.
3. Reward risk takers by celebrating their journey – even before the results are in
4. If you can’t meet a deadline, get released from your promise.
5. Give specific compliments – you will make two people happy.
6. Always keep people in the loop – even if their piece of the project is minor.
7. Before passing on information about another ask yourself, “What is my intent?”
8. Never miss an opportunity to say “Thank You.”
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Security for a Lifetime
A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this stone.” (author unknown, http://www.inspirationpeak.com)
While the wise woman is clearly remarkable, the traveler is also exceptional. He holds the precious stone – his guarantee to embrace all opportunities regardless of cost, to savor the peace that financial independence brings, and to move through life as an accomplished, respected man. Yet after days of grasping the full impact of this lottery like winning, the man doesn’t want it. Why? He comes to understand true success – so clearly revealed by the wise woman’s generous heart. Her reward is complete, enduring, and forever renewing to her spirit. She has mastered the calling of the servant leader. Now that’s the gift of a lifetime.
In Robert Greenleaf‘s book The Servant as Leader, he explains that the servant-leader is servant first. Then the person consciously chooses to use the gifts of leadership to facilitate the serving of others. This person then is sharply different from someone who is leader first. The servant leader is also mindful of two goals: Do those I serve grow as persons? Do they become healthier, more capable, wiser people and do they seek to become servant leaders?
Like the wise woman, the servant leader possesses abundant thinking. Such a mindset seeks mutual benefit, really tries to listen and then be heard, and tosses out hidden agendas. The motto of the abundant thinker is “My ego is in doing right, not in being right.” Just try living that one sentence today particularly if emotions might be charged.
One other thing - if we find ourselves holding back our congratulations and our enthusiasm for others’ good fortune, we need to admit this to ourselves. Such scarcity is sometimes rooted in comparisons. Don’t go down that path. Remember the advice from the Desiderata: “If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”
As our Lord prepared to leave his friends, he prayed for them and for us. His prayer resonates with the gracious spirit of the wise woman. “But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” Let us ask the Lord for the desire to deepen our generosity and our gratitude. Just to ask for this gift is a great step forward in receiving it!
While the wise woman is clearly remarkable, the traveler is also exceptional. He holds the precious stone – his guarantee to embrace all opportunities regardless of cost, to savor the peace that financial independence brings, and to move through life as an accomplished, respected man. Yet after days of grasping the full impact of this lottery like winning, the man doesn’t want it. Why? He comes to understand true success – so clearly revealed by the wise woman’s generous heart. Her reward is complete, enduring, and forever renewing to her spirit. She has mastered the calling of the servant leader. Now that’s the gift of a lifetime.
In Robert Greenleaf‘s book The Servant as Leader, he explains that the servant-leader is servant first. Then the person consciously chooses to use the gifts of leadership to facilitate the serving of others. This person then is sharply different from someone who is leader first. The servant leader is also mindful of two goals: Do those I serve grow as persons? Do they become healthier, more capable, wiser people and do they seek to become servant leaders?
Like the wise woman, the servant leader possesses abundant thinking. Such a mindset seeks mutual benefit, really tries to listen and then be heard, and tosses out hidden agendas. The motto of the abundant thinker is “My ego is in doing right, not in being right.” Just try living that one sentence today particularly if emotions might be charged.
One other thing - if we find ourselves holding back our congratulations and our enthusiasm for others’ good fortune, we need to admit this to ourselves. Such scarcity is sometimes rooted in comparisons. Don’t go down that path. Remember the advice from the Desiderata: “If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”
As our Lord prepared to leave his friends, he prayed for them and for us. His prayer resonates with the gracious spirit of the wise woman. “But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” Let us ask the Lord for the desire to deepen our generosity and our gratitude. Just to ask for this gift is a great step forward in receiving it!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
The One Question
The doctor would never forget those 11 words spoken by the elderly man. His patient arrived at 8:30a.m.to have stitches removed from his thumb. He expressed a sense of urgency since he had an appointment at 9:00 am. He needed to visit the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife who suffered from Alzheimer's disease. As the doctor finished dressing the man's wound, the physician asked if the elderly gentleman would be worried if he would be a bit late.
The husband paused for a moment then explained that his wife no longer knew who he was -- that she had not recognized him in five years. The physician was amazed. "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" The 80 year old smiled as he patted the doctor's hand. "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is." (adapted, author unknown, www.oprs.org)
We all yearn to be special. We want that guarantee that nothing will ever snatch away our value. Life’s hazards can sometimes beat upon our confidence, whisper words of rejection and numb our gratitude. Even when our road is perfectly paved – free of detours, no traffic jams, no pot holes, we can be most at risk. We might ease into an arrogance that will distance us from our divine connection and cause us to become more and more self-absorbed.
Here is our hope. Like the elderly gentleman, Jesus cannot break His promise: “I will always know who you are; I will show up every day.” When God seems most silent maybe He is most present. That silence is His gift moving us to figure out what we still must learn before the calm returns. Also if we become preoccupied with the “What if question” we lose our peripheral vision to see God working through the details of our lives.
The loving husband teaches us another truth. No matter how this man's actions were judged -- perhaps with great admiration -- perhaps with criticism for subjecting himself to “unnecessary grief”-- he knew a truth that transcended other's opinions. Nothing would keep him from those daily visits with his wife. Jesus urges us to stay the course. In the workplace, it’s inevitable that some will be critical of you -- no matter how much good you do and no matter how much excellence you bring to your work. If our Lord was denounced as a glutton and a drunkard, there’s just no pleasing the crowd. We need to strengthen our internal compass, trust its accuracy, and then follow the course.
To do this we must get the answer correct for this one question: "Who are we really trying to please?" Bring this question with you to all your business exchanges and see how the Spirit strengthens your creativity, your resolve for good, and your focus on things that matter most.
The husband paused for a moment then explained that his wife no longer knew who he was -- that she had not recognized him in five years. The physician was amazed. "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" The 80 year old smiled as he patted the doctor's hand. "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is." (adapted, author unknown, www.oprs.org)
We all yearn to be special. We want that guarantee that nothing will ever snatch away our value. Life’s hazards can sometimes beat upon our confidence, whisper words of rejection and numb our gratitude. Even when our road is perfectly paved – free of detours, no traffic jams, no pot holes, we can be most at risk. We might ease into an arrogance that will distance us from our divine connection and cause us to become more and more self-absorbed.
Here is our hope. Like the elderly gentleman, Jesus cannot break His promise: “I will always know who you are; I will show up every day.” When God seems most silent maybe He is most present. That silence is His gift moving us to figure out what we still must learn before the calm returns. Also if we become preoccupied with the “What if question” we lose our peripheral vision to see God working through the details of our lives.
The loving husband teaches us another truth. No matter how this man's actions were judged -- perhaps with great admiration -- perhaps with criticism for subjecting himself to “unnecessary grief”-- he knew a truth that transcended other's opinions. Nothing would keep him from those daily visits with his wife. Jesus urges us to stay the course. In the workplace, it’s inevitable that some will be critical of you -- no matter how much good you do and no matter how much excellence you bring to your work. If our Lord was denounced as a glutton and a drunkard, there’s just no pleasing the crowd. We need to strengthen our internal compass, trust its accuracy, and then follow the course.
To do this we must get the answer correct for this one question: "Who are we really trying to please?" Bring this question with you to all your business exchanges and see how the Spirit strengthens your creativity, your resolve for good, and your focus on things that matter most.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
No one escapes the dark night of the soul. Saint and sinner struggle through the emptiness, abandonment, and the panic of the void. Mother Teresa voices her angst to her spiritual confidant, the Rev. Michael van der Peet. She writes, “Jesus has a very special love for you,...[But] as for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see, — Listen and do not hear — the tongue moves [in prayer] but does not speak ... I want you to pray for me — that I let Him have [a] free hand."
Jesus predicted Mother Teresa's struggle just as He foretold our own haggling between doubt and belief, fear and fulfillment. As the disciples confidently faced their walk toward the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus announced a given, "All of you will have your faith shaken ...but after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.
It's almost as if Jesus takes the pressure off his friends by acknowledging the inevitability of their doubt. And then promises to meet up with them in Galilee. It's profoundly comforting that Mother Teresa struggled with belief and that from the cross Jesus called forth his gut wrenching question: "Father, why have you abandoned me?"
If it’s good enough for Jesus, good enough for Mother Teresa then there must be good in faith that has the authenticity of doubt. Ultimately trust in a loving God who has our back, who moves in the details of our life and who rallies around us through our friends is a graced choice, much deeper than feeling. Savor the times of intimacy with Christ, don't be surprised by times of distance, and remember that the fingerprints of the Divine mark our joy and our heartache even if the evidence seems quite faint.
Jesus predicted Mother Teresa's struggle just as He foretold our own haggling between doubt and belief, fear and fulfillment. As the disciples confidently faced their walk toward the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus announced a given, "All of you will have your faith shaken ...but after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.
It's almost as if Jesus takes the pressure off his friends by acknowledging the inevitability of their doubt. And then promises to meet up with them in Galilee. It's profoundly comforting that Mother Teresa struggled with belief and that from the cross Jesus called forth his gut wrenching question: "Father, why have you abandoned me?"
If it’s good enough for Jesus, good enough for Mother Teresa then there must be good in faith that has the authenticity of doubt. Ultimately trust in a loving God who has our back, who moves in the details of our life and who rallies around us through our friends is a graced choice, much deeper than feeling. Savor the times of intimacy with Christ, don't be surprised by times of distance, and remember that the fingerprints of the Divine mark our joy and our heartache even if the evidence seems quite faint.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The Right Kind of Thief
Even for Jesus it must have come as a surprise – the most unexpected person in the most unexpected place “getting it,” witnessing and surrendering to His promise. One by one they fled as brutal condemnation and torture circled their leader and threatened to implicate them.
But the “good thief,” who didn’t travel with the Galilean, who didn’t have his belly fed with the other 5000, who didn’t watch moms and dads, brothers and sisters seeing, hearing, speaking for the first time, and who didn’t smell the stench of death give way to life – believed in the crucified Christ
The “good thief” brought solace to Jesus: he rebuked the cynic and loved Jesus into Paradise. Had the “good thief” ignored Jesus, gave up on himself, or lived his final moments absorbed in misery – total despair would have triumphed. The lesson is simple: keep the conversation going with the Lord, trust in His confidence in you and know someone needs a hand up today.
But the “good thief,” who didn’t travel with the Galilean, who didn’t have his belly fed with the other 5000, who didn’t watch moms and dads, brothers and sisters seeing, hearing, speaking for the first time, and who didn’t smell the stench of death give way to life – believed in the crucified Christ
The “good thief” brought solace to Jesus: he rebuked the cynic and loved Jesus into Paradise. Had the “good thief” ignored Jesus, gave up on himself, or lived his final moments absorbed in misery – total despair would have triumphed. The lesson is simple: keep the conversation going with the Lord, trust in His confidence in you and know someone needs a hand up today.
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