Stepping cautiously, she pauses, deep breath, eyes widen at the brightness of the screen, a moment of hesitancy, another deep breath, rapid clicking of the keys, one click and then some silence (the backspace). Repeat this scenario multiple times over the course of about 2 years and you will thus have my entrance to the blogger world!
I picked the name of this blog years before blogging even existed and for nearly 2 years it's all that has been on this page!
Where did the title come from? Glad you asked. Leadership guru John Maxwell gives the illustration that as leaders (heck as people in general!) we're likely,(FOR SURE TO) to slip up, to fall down, to get knocked down, to fail, and so on so forth thereby spending a lot of time on the floor. (Don't worry it's not ALL gloom and doom!) He reminds us that while we're down there to learn something, to take something of value from the situation... to pick up the 'change' if you will.
I used to remember this bit of information because in the year 2000 I spoke in my first graduation commencement exercises. I was so nervous and didn't want to be boring to the class of 2000 or their many friends and family members who would be there! So I inserted a little skit so to speak at the expense of a couple of teenage girls. I sent Crissy Miller and Ashley Day two cute, but scrawny under classmen girls across the stage carrying one of those big clear plastic bottles of change that probably weighed as much as they did combined!! To their horror one of them had to trip and fall in front of everybody. I don't really remember who drew the short straw that day, but one of them fell, the audience laughed, and the other said, "What are you doing down there?" And of course her line was "well, while I'm down here I thought I might as well "pick up the change!" Cheesey I know, but it eased my nerves to know the comic relief was on its way in point number 2 of my message!
Since then LIFE has taken place and this bit of info is no longer remembered because Crissy and Ashley did a skit! (If only!) I remember it from the personal experience of time spent on the floor! Nearly 10 years later I can't (or rather don't want to) begin to tell you the countless times I've failed, tripped up, been knocked down... found myself on the floor! I should be rich by now with all that change and picking up the change should be down to an art form for me! Rather than hang my head about this, I've got to tell you that while I'm not proud of my times of failure, that I'm proud of the change I've picked up! Hoping it can somehow be seen and shared...
Jeremiah 29:11-14, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity..."
