"Enough! Let's Move On!"
Our eldest son, Matt, is taking a course with policy wonks from near and far. He is engaged in a program of professional development for several weeks this fall under the tutelage of a notable east coast institution of learning. He is loving it! It has been over twenty years since he has taken any advanced studies. The whole experience is demanding in its instruction, reading and class assignments. There is both a collegiality and competitive spirit among his study group as they work together on policy issues from various levels of government, educational and civic concerns.
 |
| Don't Sweat God's Redirects! |
Recently, one of his group members offered a bit of
advice as they were establishing norms for how they will relate to one
another during group time. She said that, in her experience, when a group discussion
was holding up the work, they needed to complete during their limited time
together, they invoked the acronym – E.L.M.O. As current group members looked
at each other puzzled as to what this new acronym meant, she went on to explain
that E.L.M.O. meant, “Enough! Let’s Move On!” and that it was helpful in
redirecting the group and breaking any future gridlock in discussion. The
entire study group burst into laughter and then unanimously decided to include
E.L.M.O. as an option for this group, as well!
Some folks like to use a non-verbal approach to annoyance
or conflict. When Monique has heard enough of me ranting about something, I
will look across the room at her sitting with the iPad in her lap while half-way
watching a television program. She will have her index finger in her right ear
and that is a clue that she has shut down and is ready for me to get quiet or
“move on!” Others like to use the diversion tactic of changing the conversation
with an unexpected exclamation like: “How about those Cardinals?!” or “Can you
believe this weather?!” There are several tried and true strategies for moving unpleasant
or unproductive conversations in new directions! “Enough! Let’s Move On!” looks
different at times!
How do you deal with the challenges of your life? Do
you find that self-talk helps? How do you get that helpful redirect in your
attitude when… your candidate did not win, your job didn’t turn out like you
hoped, your teen or young adult family member won’t embrace your values, or
that diagnosis you had not anticipated? I had a health care
provider who recently offered me this bit of advice, “Well, it looks like
you’re just going to have to deal with this!” It was the medical doctor’s way
of moving on and trying to help me as a retired pastor to do the same!
Over the years, I have found great comfort in reading
the “Roll Call of the Faithful” as recorded in Hebrews 11 of God’s Word. The
stories of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Gideon,
David, Daniel, and many other unnamed faithful ones inspire me. They lived by
faith and experienced God’s miraculous grace at challenging times. Facing
torture, persecutions, horrible mistreatments and even death, the testimony of
Scripture is that “They were too good for this world!” And “All these earned a
good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God
had promised. For God had something better in mind!” (Hebrews 11:38-40).
Sometimes God’s redirects are because He has something
better in mind for us. I have said by personal testimony that many times in my
life God has told me “No!” to something I desired, prayed for, or thought was
right for me. And then later, God gave me something better than I had dreamed
about or longed for! It comforts me to hear God's promise, "I know the plans I have for you... plans to prosper you... to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11).
Let’s move on and trust that the God who “directs our steps”
(Proverbs 16:9) is preparing something far better than we can imagine!
Mike Keppler, retired pastor,
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment