I've been thinking about leadership...

HOW WOMEN EXCEL

I love the idea of following a thread in Scripture and then finding gems of wisdom embedded in commentaries. Wow! That happened to me this week when I happened upon Proverbs 24:3-6.

Here is what the passage says: By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in the abundance of counselors there is victory.

Here are some of the thoughts I gleaned from a helpful commentary. These two sayings testify that wisdom is crucial to success, whether building a home or waging war. Amen! When I think about the general activity of women, it surrounds a home and homebuilding and then a career - women GATHER! When I think about the general activity of men, it surrounds strategizing how to provide for a family, making a satisfactory living and even sometimes making war - men HUNT!

Building houses and establishing households are peacetime activities. By their juxtaposition, therefore, these four verses encompass major aspects of human life and activity and assert that wisdom is equally necessary in each of these areas of life, thus encouraging those who seek success to seek it through wisdom. Amen and amen! When I as a woman go about my homebuilding activities I am seeking to beautify my environment with "all precious and pleasant riches." And, as I age, I have found my influence extends past my home which takes me into the realm of leadership in the community.

The humility that encourages a person to seek advice comes from knowing that no one is omniscient or omni-competent (!) and that wisdom must be sought. The wise person therefore looks for ways to strengthen their ability to meet daily needs by increasing the knowledge that they already possess. Then the plans, which are based on insights of a number of people, are much more likely to succeed, since their joint strengths will cancel out each other's weaknesses. Humility looks good on everyone - men and women alike. Humility invites healthy collaboration with others which in turn produces a greater, more effective whole.

The theme of planning is thus integrally related to that of diligence, since success crowns diligent planning, whether one is building a house, establishing a household or preparing for war. I am affirmed in my leadership when I realize I control the amount of diligence and care I bring to each new enterprise. When I keep my head down and work to make each piece of a project excellent, then the whole will be excellent. The process makes me an excellent leader, whether I am acknowledged or not. I know what I am capable of and that confidence settles down deep into my soul.

These verses do not guarantee success in such enterprises. They do, however, reflect the overwhelming conviction of Proverbs concerning diligence and care. These characterize a life lived in the fear of the Lord and tend to reap success.

How can a man understand a women's leadership language? Women lead through applying great diligence and care whether in building a home or building a business or ministry. They excel at providing "precious and pleasant riches" for everyone who frequents their environment. Praise God for women in leadership. We are all blessed by it!

I've been thinking about sobriety...

THE AFTERMATH

When I say I have been thinking about sobriety, I want to clarify that I am referring to "emotional sobriety." In his article Achieving Emotional Sobriety, author Dr. David Hawkins offers this definition:

"Emotional sobriety, as I define it, applies to maintaining emotional balance. It means attending to our emotional life when we are angry, discouraged and frustrated. During these times we are likely to react and react again, creating unbalance in our relationships."

One of the things Dr. Hawkins reminds me to do to achieve emotional sobriety is to SLOW THINGS DOWN - in every aspect of my life. He suggests taking time out to put things into perspective by being intentional about what I want to say and how I want to act, instead of becoming emotionally reactive.

And so, may I say that there has been a perplexing aftermath from the February weekend in Laguna when Phoenix Seminary was blessed by a huge jump in resources. When I researched what "aftermath" means the first definition was "a second crop of growth" which is intriguing indeed! Who knew there would be such monumental second growth from our experience?

Before we parted from Bruce Wilkinson at the end of the Laguna weekend, he predicted that we would be attacked by a crisis of faith which would test our belief in the days ahead. Ominously, I noted that the dictionary definition of aftermath did add, "the period immediately following a usually ruinous event" such as "in the aftermath of the war."

Let me hasten to say that God is still on His throne and I am confident that His purposes are prevailing. However, I have found myself in unknown territory after experiencing a particularly strong outburst of the presence of God in my life. I haven't written any blogs for several weeks because I have been doing what Dr. Hawkins suggested in his article - slowing down to acquire perspective.

What are the distinctives of this unknown territory? It seems to me that there are great paradoxes - wonderment at all the possibilities that resources provide but deep concern that those resources be stewarded well. Amazement that many people committed to stand with us but more sobriety than ever in managing all the expectations of relationships. Delight at what was accomplished by working together but consternation and heartbreak over emotional reactions and questioning of motives.

In my slowing-down-time, God has given me the perspective that the winds of war will rage on - battle, victory, crisis of belief, and then the marvelous purifying of faith. I am staying calm as I survey God's sanctification process and the incremental growth spurts that sustain it! I am disciplining my heart to believe that God is ever-present and active in the unknown land. I am, by God's grace, achieving emotional sobriety even in the aftermath.

1 Corinthians 9:26 & 27, "So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

I've been thinking about attacks...

RESISTING A SHARK ATTACK

Laura Hillenbrand, the author of Seabiscuit, has written a new book entitled Unbroken in which she tells an astonishing tale of survival, resilience, and redemption. During World War II, Louis Zamperini joined the Army Air Corps as a bombardier. After his B-24 Liberator crashed into the ocean, he survived 47 days on a raft at sea before his dehumanizing capture and torture by the Japanese.

While drifting at sea, Louie and two other surviving crew members experienced a fearful phenomenon - sharks. A shark is a carnivore predator, a meat-eating fish and one of the most feared animals of the sea. Sharks were uninvited, constant companions throughout the saga of the raft. Here are a few goose-pimpling excerpts:

"The sharks... were so close that the men would only have to extend their hands to touch them. The smallest were about six feet long; but some were double that size, twice the length of the rafts. They bent around the rafts, testing the fabric, dragging their fins along them..." p. 129

"The coolness of the ocean beckoned and couldn't be answered, for the sharks circled. One shark, six or eight feet long, stalked the rafts without rest, day and night. The men became especially wary of him, and when he ventured too close, one of them would jab him with an oar." p. 141

"As the men sat together, exhausted and in shock, a shark lunged up over the wall of the raft, mouth open, trying to drag a man into the ocean. Someone grabbed an oar and hit the shark, and it slid off. Then another shark jumped on and, after it, another." p. 156 - 157

"Growing wiser, they gave up flinging themselves haphazardly at the men and began stalking about, waiting for a moment when an oar was down or a back was turned before bulling their way aboard. Over and over again they lunged... Mac and Phil smacked them away." p. 157-158

During a strafing attack by a Japanese plane, Louie jumped overboard into the water and hid under the raft only to see the huge, gaping mouth of a shark emerge out of the darkness. As Louie prepared to fight with his bare hands some of his survival training came to mind.

"Louie remembered the advice of the old man in Honolulu: Make a threatening expression, then stiff-arm the shark's snout. As the shark lunged for his head, Louie bared his teeth, widened his eyes, and rammed his palm into the tip of the shark's nose. The shark flinched, circled away, then swam back for a second pass. Louie waited until the shark was inches from him, then struck it in the nose again. Again, the shark peeled away." p. 155

And then, an assault by the apex predator of all sharks. "Swelling up from under the water came a leviathan: a vast white mouth, a broad back parting the surface, and a long dorsal fin, ghostly in the moonlight. The animal was some twenty feet long, more than three times the length of the raft. Louis recognized its features from his survival training. It was a great white shark." p. 163

Contemplating the horrific shark experiences, I can easily make a connection to what the Bible says about Satan and the tactics he employs. I Peter 5:8,9, Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

Hmmmm... bare my teeth, widen my eyes, and ram my palm into the devil's nose. This could well be another metaphor for resisting him and remaining firm in my faith. Certainly the threat is very real but I would like my life to be a tale of survival, resilience, and redemption, just like Louie Zamperini.