New Streets
One of the gifts of my friendships is that my friends attend many different churches-- and other places of worship. From one of their church's newsletters come the following. It is a kind of a parable I'd heard before but was told it was by "Anonymous." Following that old expression from the '60's that "Anonymous was a woman" (to which I add: "and Unknown, a man..."), I was not surprised to find out that Portia Nelson wrote this. She called it, "Autobiography in Five Short Chapters."
Chapter One: I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost... I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter Two: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I am in the same place. but it isn't my fault.
Chapter Three: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in... it's a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.
Chapter Four: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.
Chapter Five: I walk down another street.
Ah, yes, there is wisdom in this! And I readily admit: one of my problems has been finding "another street" to walk down! Oh, the pitfalls on my well-worn paths!
The best I can do today is pray: "I am ready! Lord, show me another way!"
May you, too, be blessed to be one of the People of The Way.
Chapter One: I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost... I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter Two: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I am in the same place. but it isn't my fault.
Chapter Three: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in... it's a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.
Chapter Four: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.
Chapter Five: I walk down another street.
Ah, yes, there is wisdom in this! And I readily admit: one of my problems has been finding "another street" to walk down! Oh, the pitfalls on my well-worn paths!
The best I can do today is pray: "I am ready! Lord, show me another way!"
May you, too, be blessed to be one of the People of The Way.
posted by TRXTR | 9:02 AM
1 Comments:
Is it Kosher to comment on my own blog? Just to pass this on! A comment from a friend: Why not tell it differently and in one chapter: "I walk down the street. I find a hole. I fill it in. That way, no one falls in it!"
Post a Comment
<< Home