My visit to an Abu Dhabi yarn store was a trip into the unknown. I had no idea what to expect. What would the salespeople be like? Was each a generalist or did they specialise? How many different types of yarn were there? I was uninformed and curious. The idea that anyone could make a living out of selling yarn was intriguing. Given the price point and potential size of the target customer base, could anyone make enough money to stay in business?
It seems that the answer to the last question is yes, you can make enough money to stay in business, at least in Abu Dhabi. With courteous staff who know their merchandise – types, uses, and even location in a store where everywhere I looked there was yarn and more yarn.
In the time I waited and reflected while others shopped, I found myself considering how the same ingredient was used to bring so many different things to life. There were so many ingredients, with each sharing a story of endless possibilities. Given I know little to nothing about knitting or crochet, I could see how critical the maestro was to the process. In the end, the maestro was the artist taking the ordinary into the amazing.
In the quietness of the store, my mind drifted to intent, outcomes, and what was happening afterward. Good and bad results could come from the same materials. An old observation echoed in the back of my mind – “It’s not as if they don’t know better. They know perfectly well they’re spitting in God’s face. And they don’t care – worse, they hand out prizes to those who do the worst things best!” (Romans 1.32)
My takeaways from the store included the following.
I am the maestro of my life. I choose what I do with life’s ingredients.
I know what I am doing. I may not understand, however, I have the awareness, knowledge, and ability to see.
I have the freedom, responsibility, and ultimately accountability to act.
In short, I am the maestro of my life.
