A bit of obscure branding trivia is that I created a company name as an anagram to the word clearest. I remember the moment because of how I felt – very good. The memory is one of a truth is alive, hope is near, and there are possibilities kind of feeling.
It does not always happen that way. My recent quiet time has been dominated by the realization that as clear as I want to be in all that I do, sometimes I am anything but. The particular memory for me plays out over decades, however it could have just as easily been something that happened more recently. There are times when our efforts to reach and do something end up doing just the opposite! We reach forward only to find ourselves touching something behind us. We take a step in a new direction, only to find ourselves going in reverse. It is a reality that I find hard to deal with.
I want to ask why. I want to go loud, proclaiming my intent with greater volume as if hearing was the root cause of the problem. In the quietness, a reminder from a writer across the generations sits with me. “Most of all, try to proclaim his truth. If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him.” (1 Corinthians 14.2)
There are times when it is hard to maintain my hold on the model. I hear the reminder and see three things I can do – act, be open to all, and learn to act better. One must try to do what is right in order for anything to have a chance. In doing so, it is not enough for you to know it. Actions need a community in order to live beyond intimacies. Finally, one must learn and applies the learning to the next action. This will require patience from everyone involved. Compassion and understanding can be catalysts in the process.
On a clear day…
