Some of us are given the knack to move merchandise.
Some of us are given the patience to move lines of passengers.
Some of us are given the intelligence to move lines of code.
Some of us are given the responsibility to move mail and packages.
Some of us are given the focus to move money.
Some of us are given the steadiness to move hammers and nails.
Some of us are given the skill to move scalpels and sutures.
Some of us are given the knowledge to move bits and bytes back and forth.
Some of us are given the inspiration to move images onto page, stage, and screen.
Some of us are given the humility to move people to laughter and tears.
Some of us are given the wisdom to move people from no to yes.
Some of us are given the gift to move hearts and minds.
Some of us are given the grace to know that the spirit moves us.
And all of us need a form of traction to move what we are called to move. I can not move my bow across the strings of my violin without that little square of rosin, no matter how much training and talent I possess. Skaters with dull blades can trip on the grooved ice, and words spoken (in or out of pulpits) without love clang like a harsh cymbal. Without traction we exhaust ourselves, without traction it feels like a striving after wind. But with traction life moves forward with a kind of joy, no matter what our circumstances. I had a very grumpy neighbor watch me try to back my car out of my snow-piled driveway. My wheels spun uselessly in a rut. He almost didn't come over to help...but then something must have clicked inside him and he brought over a piece of cardboard, placed it in the deep well my frustrations had created, and helped me find the traction to get my car back onto the road. He didn't want a thank you; he just wanted to get on his way. Still, his begrudgingly given aid moved me to where I needed to be and I appreciated his efforts. Of course, it's always better to help people with a smile but traction is a gift no matter how it's given. I drove off to my destination grateful to be on my way.
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful comment and for sharing the story of your neighbor helping you in the snow. Your focus on traction has inspired another post :)
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