Jan 10.Will We Clink, Crash or Experience a Wink?

As a leader of a family, company, or organization, we are all on a journey. That includes the team members both internal and external. As we travel our separate paths, we are sometimes walking beside one another. At other times we are crossing paths.

Sometimes we bump into one another and other times there are crashes. It seems that when crashes or bumps occur, we can move into judgment mode because progress on our path has been interrupted. But I want to think about another alternative.

It could be a different move we could make. It might simply and memorably be called the turn. I think that when our path is interrupted, all that is required is to take a turn. A small adjustment to our desired course would help us to move closer or farther from the crash point.

We will not likely see all the crashes coming so they will sometimes occur. When this happens will we stay in the crash? Will we debate, discuss, point fingers, accuse, and make our points known or can we more quickly make another turn at that moment? Speed is often a root cause of the crash.

 We can be moving so fast that a need for a turn is not recognized in time to slow down and avoid it. If we are going so fast that a turn might throw us into a tailspin and tumble out of control, we could be going too fast. Speed is also the catalyst to avoiding the bump and crash as well.

Perhaps our speed of progress should be only as fast as our ability to make the turns. Where are those on your team bumping or crashing into one another? The leader is likely the one who has set the throttle to manipulate the speed up and down.

Which way does the throttle need to be moved so effective turns can help?

As a Christian, we need the turn as well. We know that Christ taught us to turn the other cheek. But a turn is a change, and we do not like change. We read, ““Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.” Matthew 7:1 NLT.

But it is so easy to judge partly because it supports our desire to stay on our path. Why not just make the turn? When one has a crash, we might benefit by speeding up the turn and apologize for the crash as we did not avoid it ourselves.

We have the ability to be observing the paths that will connect with us. Is someone headed for a location with us as a crash point? Why would we keep our speed at the same rate just to crash?

And when one crashes, the time spent there can be spent judging, identifying, and projecting who is right and who is wrong. I almost wrote protecting who is right because our brains want ourselves to be right. We do the projecting that we are right.

As I write, I think about how much time I have spent in a crash. People work through their version of the details and others likely get involved as well. Think of an auto accident and the people involved. The police, the wreckers, the auto body repair people, the insurance companies, and all the other people are trying to still make progress on their path.

If we are stuck in judgment back at the crash, we are likely to miss God winking or speaking to us. That is why the turn is so critical. We can miss spending more time in love and with God when stuck in the crash.

Making the turn quicker might help us to progress down the path where God is waiting on us to arrive. Just like a father or mother waiting for a child to return from a trip, God could be waiting for you to come into his presence. What is the first thing you can do to make a turn this week? 

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, thank you for the blessings of this world. Thank you for those that I bump or even crash into. We ask that you provide us comfort and hold us in the palm of your hands as we move through our situations.

Through the bumps of life that obstruct our path, we ask that you help us to turn, to use less judgment where it is not needed. Turn us in your direction, Lord. Guide us through the times of trial and bring us safely home. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen,