A woodworking friend shared this true story that he went to visit a “master woodworker” to see this man’s work and gets some tips. He walked into the store and was amazed at the beauty of this master’s creations. He introduced himself and asked him for some wooding pointers. The man’s response appeared to be rather rude: “What did you come to teach me?”
My
friend was caught off guard and felt embarrassed since he was nowhere near the
skill level of this artist. He grew silent, walked around the store for a few
more minutes and was ready to walk out the door when the master called back:
“Where are you going?”
My
embarrassed friend was perplexed and he said that he had come to learn a few
pointers to take home to his shop. This master politely told my friend that he
meant no disrespect from his comment: “What did you come to teach me?” Rather,
he reassured my friend that in any meeting with a person his philosophy was
that if we listen carefully to one another there is always something we can
learn from each other. There might be one point of view or phrase that we hang
to that will make a difference in our life if we only listen carefully to one
another.
It
seems that this man was not purposely insulting his visitor but wanted to
assure him that we are all have something very important inside of us to share
from our unique experiences. So next time you are confronted by a person who
appears to be lost or afraid or not quite with it. Instead of rolling our eyes
or ignoring their comments give them a chance to share who they are and their
life experience and they might teach you something new.
I am
learning from my woodworking friend that you can take a round bowl that has
dried for six months into a oblong, distorted shape and mold it back into a
beautiful round bowl. You have to be careful as you spin the wheel at 1020
rpms. But it is possible to turn that wobbly mess and craft it into a thing of
beauty.
So if
you think your life is out of shape and you have dried up into a cold, crusty
person that no longer fits the mold of Christ. Maybe it's time to come back to
the Jesus and listen to his words so that He can give you direction and make a
difference in your life.
God invites
us to listen to his words and what do you hear? “Give ear, O my people, to my
teaching: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.” (Psalm 78:1).
Lord,
I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who feel out of sorts or no longer worthy to
come back to church. Let this be an invitation to return to church where you
feel welcomed and accepted and learn that Jesus wants you to know that you are
His child made in His image to bring glory to his world. What’s your glory and
how will you bring it to others today?
