Tug at a String

“I had forgotten all about it.” – Rod McDaniels

Tug at a String

It had been months since I’d been able to sit and talk with my friend Rod.  We normally get together on a more regular basis.  Sometimes life just takes over.  But, he graciously and patiently, rescheduled with me a couple of times due to my challenging schedule.

When we did sit down together I noticed he was radiating a profound peacefulness.  It made me feel warm inside to see how well he was doing.  He told me of his family and how well each member is doing.  I enjoyed seeing updated photos while receiving a happenings update.  He also, toward the end of our visit, revealed the source of his current self-assurance so could share it with you.

Rod exposed the beginnings of a large trial and explained how he carefully navigated his way through the challenges that came with it.  I knew some of his story, but this time he went into more detail and I marveled at how he unfolded each event.  Still, a full revealing of how powerful his taught principle is didn’t happen for me until the next day.

Early the next morning I was in the cold dawn feeding my cows and I looked at two large piles of bailing twine that had grown into one huge mass over time.  That big mess was there before me.  (Ok.  I’ll admit to you, that I added to the pile a little myself.)  The pile was so large that I hadn’t begun to unravel it.  I’ve left it to sit in that same spot there for years and years.  So, it still sat on this particular morning.  I looked.  I shrugged.  I began to walk away.

I took one step from it.  I stopped.  I was prompted from what Rod had taught me the day before.  I didn’t need to sort out this whole mess right this minute!  I had already taken the first important step.  I had stopped adding to the pile!  Now I could follow Rod’s example and remove just one string from the mess.

I reached a tentative hand out and tugged at one strand of twine.  To my surprise the string slipped fluidly from the seemingly immovable tangle!  I took that one piece of twine and wound it up in a small circle.  Then I simply took it out to of the hay barn, walked it to my everyday trashcan and made a deposit. 

This one simple act left me feeling as if I had just conquered an impenetrable fortress!  I could see the end of that huge mess for the very first time.  It no longer mattered to me that I didn’t make the mess.  It only mattered that I knew I could remove the entire mess from my life by removing it one simple string at a time over time.

I’m sure you’ve experienced the trauma of an unresolved mess in your own life.  If it’s like mine, it may have started outside of your control.  Those are a horrible kind.  I found myself saying over and over again, “I didn’t make this mess.  I shouldn’t have to clean it up!”  I would simply look at it and feel overwhelmed, resentful and helpless.

The problem is that such feelings were continually causing me to harbor resentment while keeping my focus on the unresolved mess!  Rod’s revelation of how to clear up a mess “one string at a time” allows you and me to become free of burdens easily over time while enjoying hope, strength and joy immediately.

Tug on one string today.