How do you introduce someone to something that they have never seen or experienced? Do you highlight what they are missing? Is telling them that they do not have what you are trying to describe the answer? Are there mantras that one should always remember when talking to something beyond another’s boundaries?
It is easy to think that the challenge only exists in one part of your life. For me it is usually work. I was recently reminded that others see what I do not. It is true in reverse as well. In every part of my life I find that others who improve my ability to see. Their insights stretch my imagination. Their visions extend my sight.
While there are no simple answers, life keeps reminding me of the following.
Be aware that whatever you can see may not be within the sights of others. Assuming that s/he can see what is obvious to you is never a good idea. The opposite is equally not true. If you are sure, find a way to confirm. If you have any doubts, ask, listen, and question start the process of understanding where s/he can see in the moment at hand.
Be candid about what you are trying to describe. Not alerting someone of the truth implies that this is something that should be within her/his sight. One writer put it this way; “That’s why we have this Scripture text: No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it—what God has arranged for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2.9)
Be positive in what you are describing. Your words and actions are an invitation into something more. One should remember that this might be uncomfortable for others. Imagination is never about what you cannot see. It is about the possible.
Change is an integral part of each day. It may not always be comfortable. It may not be easy. Seeing with greater eyes, understanding more, begins as others help one imagine. Life is greater than what we know.
