We were doing a group task. Adults mostly over the age of 30, many with young children and many who were coming from hard days at work.
I could understand if some of them were tired and just wanted to be fed stuff to passively take in for future reference. Yet all of them were engaged in this activity and I witnessed something amazing.
The task set was to design the perfect two week holiday with money not being a barrier. Very simple task, but from it sprang an array of ideas and proposals that highlighted a degree of creativity in that group of adults that had not always been on display.
The reason why it was rarely on show was because of those constraining boxes placed on people. They had the burst of creativity now, but soon they would revert back to type. Keeping to the parameters set for them by culture, work and other dominating institutions. Those parameters did not allow anything unless it served the purpose of maintaining the efficient running of the machine – perpetuating mediocrity with little room or regard for there being more to people than just being a cog in a lifeless machine.
Yet here in this gathering of men and women given full permission to just be themselves there emerged ideas and concepts wildly imaginative making significant impacts on the world. Taking a holiday and making it a time of investing in the lives of others to benefit from the good news of an invitation to enter into the rest of the Lord.
Witnessing this again reminded me of the life-giving power of Jesus that was never about swapping one drudgery of monotony for another with more pressure to be religiously correct. Here is the source of life setting us free to live if we had but the eyes to see it. Releasing us to truly function in line with all that He placed in us. Removing all the blockages that narrowed life to the unrewarding pursuit of more stuff and more security.
It got me thinking once more of the tragedy of so much untapped potential in the lives of many. I see glimpses and hints like in this activity. Yet it was more than that, it was again about encouraging people to tap into what they have been given for the benefit of humanity. Setting up those platforms is what can support the massive geyser of talent to bubble up to realisation.
So much we can do. So much we contribute to this universe if we tap into what God has done in us for His glory.
Creating platforms like that would make for an excellent job in bringing out what is within and let it spring up for all to truly benefit.
That reminds me of a project that I have been meaning to share ….
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 