Me: “Siri, I need directions.”
Siri: “Before I go to the trouble of giving you directions, are you actually going to follow them?”
That conversation has never happened—only because Siri tends to be polite.
I know there have been times that Siri has wanted to say, “In 500 feet, pull over and let me out!”
(I have to give credit to Mrs. Sweetie for that joke).
I’ll admit it. I often need some help figuring out which way to go to get to the destination I’m looking for.
That’s not simply true with a physical destination; it’s true with life in general—the existential questions of why I’m here at this time and place and how I should live while I’m here so that I can get where I’m supposed to go.
How confusing is that?
I heard a phrase in a sermon that started me down a trail of pondering (occupational hazard). As a result I missed the next few sentences of the sermon and—to be completely transparent—I have already forgotten the phrase that sent me down the trail.
But my pondering led me to six phrases that include “direction” words that—on further pondering—may provide a “Siri for the soul” of sorts.
The words: down, up, in, out, around, through.
The phrases:
SLOW DOWN. Deliberately, intentionally, ruthlessly eliminate “hurry” from your life. Hurry causes us to miss important information. Hurry causes distraction. Hurry puts ourselves and others at risk.
SHOW UP. Wherever you are, be all there. Sometimes the best thing we bring to a situation is not our wisdom or expertise, it is our undivided and supportive attention. We must never forget that we are human beings who sometimes do things. We are not simply human doings. When I don’t know what I should do, it is time to be.
SEE IN: What you see first is rarely the whole story. There is usually a backstory—something below the surface and behind the scenes—that has brought us to this moment. Taking the time to look and listen more deeply helps us to discern our best response for this situation. I don’t know about you (actually, I do), but my snap judgments and knee-jerk responses have often done more harm than good.
SHINE OUT: When you’ve discerned your best response, it’s time to bring the best of you to this moment. The best of YOU. Not the best there is, the best there could possibly be, or the best ever. We may never know the reason, but we are here. And IN this moment, we have the opportunity to bring all that is within us—including what God has given us and taught us—TO this moment, trusting that our best response is all that is required of us.
STICK AROUND: The most effective contributions you will make are those you make over time. It is certainly possible for us to make a contribution to a brief, one time opportunity, but the deep contributions require a longer investment. A longer investment helps us prove ourselves trustworthy and build helpful and healthy relationships. It allows the possibility of growing a mutually beneficial community.
STAY THROUGH: There will always be challenges, frustrations, disappointments, and disagreements. Don’t bail too soon. Sometimes we learn things about ourselves and develop new skills precisely because we didn’t give up.
Final pondering for today: Is it possible that these are actually sequential?
That we won’t stay through if we haven’t stuck around? That we won’t stick around if we haven’t found ways to shine out? That we won’t know how to shine out if we haven’t seen in? That we won’t be able to see in if we don’t show up? And that we won’t show up if we don’t slow down and notice?
We won’t stay through if we haven’t stuck around, stick around if we haven’t found ways to shine out, shine out if we haven’t seen in, see in if we don’t show up, or show up if we don’t slow down and notice.CLICK TO TWEET
Hmmm …
Be amazing today, my friend.
