Something magical happens when someone asks you something that you have never thought of.
I had worked hard on a presentation. It was tight, focused, and powerful. It had everything one might ask for – logic, content, and context. I was certain and confident in my reflective gaze. There was another time that I could recall being this certain.
The first time was for a worship talk in a Putney pub. The pub itself was classically British. It was dingy. Everything reeked of stale beer. The worship meeting place was an overflow bar space in the basement. As I came into the evening, I was certain that I had the right words ready for those that would be there. I was confident. I felt at ease. I was certain that everything was going to flow smoothly. In this setting, a question from a much younger friend caught me off guard.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes. I have had a growing sense that I am prepared with the right remarks for this moment and time.”
“That is good to hear. Do you mind if I ask you a question?” Pause, “are you open for more?”
“I not sure what you mean. I am prepared. I have reflected. Everything tells me that I am ready the message complete.”
“I understand. Are you open to More?”
As I voiced my doubts, I expressed a desire to be open for More. I asked the young man if he would pray for me, specifically that it was my desire to be open and that I was asking for God to reveal whatever s/he needed to if there was more.
It was a question that I had never thought of. The question repeated itself in the face of my certainty. Are you open to More?
Inspiration is, at its heart Divine. The proof is around us. “The skies were made by God’s command; he breathed the word and the stars popped out.” (Psalm 33.6) Being open to More is an invitation to inspiration.
Then and now, I discovered the beauty and wonder of more.
