I love a good story! Real-life stories are the best. Stories that are true have deep significance and can become important symbols that impact us in significant ways.
Jesus used stories, or parables, to communicate concepts and truths to his disciples. Story-telling is often used by teachers used to communicate deeper meanings for life.
My mentor was a wonderful storyteller. He used many stories from his own life and stories he found in other sources to communicate ideas that we would not only remember but be able to apply to many of our life circumstances. One such story was about his father. His father was not much of a handyman around the house. Whenever something broke or needed fixing he would use a hammer to try to fix or mend what wasn’t working.
He then related a similar story about an event from his own life. He had a faucet that continued to leak. He took it apart, changed the washer, and screwed it all back together but it continued to leak. He finally went to the hardware store to get new washers, thinking that the ones he had were the problem. When he got to the counter to pay for them the salesperson asked what kind of project he needed the washers for. When Doc explained what he was doing the man at the counter said, “hmm, I think all you need to do is put a little grease on the faucet.” Sure enough, that was what he needed to do to make the faucet stop leaking.
That phrase, “grease the faucet” became a mantra for the next couple of years that meant if you have information, it is your obligation to share it. Students would often repeat this in all kinds of situations!
When I was a child, I never wanted anyone to think I didn’t know something. I became pretty good at picking things up by context and inference. And I never let on that I didn’t really understand the conversation. This was both a blessing and a curse. As a result, I didn’t learn to ask questions. My mom would have chided me for asking, or at least that was what I thought would happen. Actually, I didn’t feel safe
asking her questions because I thought she would tease me for not knowing.
In a conversation once, with my mentor, I asked why I was never told that the bow to my violin needed to be re-haired. He said he assumed I knew. (This conversation was long before the faucet story). For all the violin lessons I had taken, and the various teachers I had studied with, not one ever told me that the bow should be re-haired.
I also never knew that the strings on my violin should all match. Or that the rosin used on the bow should be of good quality and the hair on the bow should be cleaned occasionally. Who knew? Not me. And I never thought to ask these questions for way too many years. And then I did. And I was given good information that has made a big difference in my instrument. And that encourages me to want to play better!
Two things I have now learned. Ignorance about something is not good. Asking questions is good. Asking the right person is the best thing. Asking an ‘expert’ is best.
In Matthew 7:7 Jesus said to his disciples, “Just ask and it will be given to you; seek after it and you will find. Continue to knock and the door will be opened for you…”
What is it that you don’t know? Who can you ask? Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know! But when we realize that we should then determine to find out what we don’t know. Don’t be content with what is. This is what I am learning. Aspire to a higher standard.
I am so glad I finally asked questions about my violin. May I not be afraid to admit that I don’t know something and ask questions about other things I don’t know. Then, when I have new information, I gain a better understanding and am obligated to use and develop it. The same is true with our gifts and abilities given to us by God. We are responsible to learn what our gifts are, develop them, use them.
Life becomes richer when we allow ourselves to learn new things. Let’s endeavor in this new year to become all that God wants for us!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Shalom
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