Believing Is Seeing
Stories
56 Stories For Preaching
"Oh great!"
Al was not excited about being at this workshop on team-
building, but his boss was on a big kick about it, and Al needed
at least to look cooperative.
But now the workshop leader was asking people to pair up for a
trust walk, to be blindfolded and led by voice through whatever
obstacles were ahead.
Al hated that" He had always been afraid of the dark,
something he carefully hid from others because it embarrassed
him. He didn't know why darkness was so frightening to him, but
he did know that he did not put stock in anything he could see.
If it were a concept, a promise, an idea, a dream, forget it.
Give him something tangible, something concrete, and he could
deal with it. Give him something he could control, and he was
fine.
But now this. Al didn't even really know the partner who was
to lead him around. His nametag said Larry, but that told him
nothing.
The workshop leader gave instructions.
"I want you to walk by trust, not by sight," she said, "Let
your partner guide you, using only the voice, and get a sense of
letting go of your own control, so that you may be responsive to
someone outside of you."
"There is that word again," Al thought. "Control. It is
mine. Why should I give it up? I'm comfortable with it. Why
should someone else get to take it away from me?"
Larry handed Al his blindfold, and said, "Let's get
started."
They exchanged some small talk, but Al was not listening. He
was hearing his head instead, telling him just to get it over
with, that it shouldn't be this hard, that people do this all the
time.
Then he was hearing his gut tell him otherwise: "Don't do
it," it was telling him. "You take charge."
Al stalled, but Larry was persistent. "Give up," he smiled.
So Al reluctantly placed the blindfold over his eyes. "All
right, I give up," he said to himself.
The voice began to lead him, but Al suddenly realized it was
not Larry's voice, and it was not the voice of the workshop
leader.
"Follow me," the voice was saying. "Give me control of your
steps, and I will show you the way. Trust me as you walk, I will
guide you. Don't you see that?"
Maybe Al did see something when the blindfold went on. Maybe
he did see that it is possible to see by faith what is not seen
by the eyes. Maybe the voice assured him that these steps would
be the first steps out of the darkness of his fear.
"Trust me," Larry said.
Al sighed, "I'll try," he replied.
Larry smiled and said, "It's a step in the right direction."
Al was not excited about being at this workshop on team-
building, but his boss was on a big kick about it, and Al needed
at least to look cooperative.
But now the workshop leader was asking people to pair up for a
trust walk, to be blindfolded and led by voice through whatever
obstacles were ahead.
Al hated that" He had always been afraid of the dark,
something he carefully hid from others because it embarrassed
him. He didn't know why darkness was so frightening to him, but
he did know that he did not put stock in anything he could see.
If it were a concept, a promise, an idea, a dream, forget it.
Give him something tangible, something concrete, and he could
deal with it. Give him something he could control, and he was
fine.
But now this. Al didn't even really know the partner who was
to lead him around. His nametag said Larry, but that told him
nothing.
The workshop leader gave instructions.
"I want you to walk by trust, not by sight," she said, "Let
your partner guide you, using only the voice, and get a sense of
letting go of your own control, so that you may be responsive to
someone outside of you."
"There is that word again," Al thought. "Control. It is
mine. Why should I give it up? I'm comfortable with it. Why
should someone else get to take it away from me?"
Larry handed Al his blindfold, and said, "Let's get
started."
They exchanged some small talk, but Al was not listening. He
was hearing his head instead, telling him just to get it over
with, that it shouldn't be this hard, that people do this all the
time.
Then he was hearing his gut tell him otherwise: "Don't do
it," it was telling him. "You take charge."
Al stalled, but Larry was persistent. "Give up," he smiled.
So Al reluctantly placed the blindfold over his eyes. "All
right, I give up," he said to himself.
The voice began to lead him, but Al suddenly realized it was
not Larry's voice, and it was not the voice of the workshop
leader.
"Follow me," the voice was saying. "Give me control of your
steps, and I will show you the way. Trust me as you walk, I will
guide you. Don't you see that?"
Maybe Al did see something when the blindfold went on. Maybe
he did see that it is possible to see by faith what is not seen
by the eyes. Maybe the voice assured him that these steps would
be the first steps out of the darkness of his fear.
"Trust me," Larry said.
Al sighed, "I'll try," he replied.
Larry smiled and said, "It's a step in the right direction."
