298 – October 25
“Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.”—Satchel Paige
Zane, the movie director, was stuck. He had made a wonderfully funny short film and was having difficulty getting it seen. We met for a couple of hours to discuss his situation and figure out what new ships he needed to send out. At the end of the meeting, I told him that sometime you just have to ask God to give you a sign. He liked that idea and promised to try it.
A short time later, I received a note from him. He told me that he had been doing some serious talking with God for several days. Apparently, it was a fairly one-sided conversation and he wasn’t getting an answer back. So he asked for a sign: That either one of his scripts would get sold or it would become abundantly clear that he should change the direction of his life.
Still, there was no sign. In exasperation, he told his wife, Julia, that since God wasn’t cooperating, Zane was going to make a sign himself and hang it in his office. It was going to say: “Dear Zane, You are a successful writer, director and producer of feature films and television. Love, Your friend and confidante, God.”
Before Zane had a chance to actually make the sign, his publicist called. She had spoken with an agent at Creative Artists Agency who was sending a messenger to pick up a tape of Zane’s film. The agent said that he would get back to her in a week and that he would try to help out in any way he could. Zane was ecstatic.
He ended his note to me with this comment: “Admittedly, nothing has happened yet but it looks really bright. Seeing you last Saturday really helped me get my head on straight and chart my ship on a proper course. I look to the stars for aid in navigating my ship. And you are one of the brightest in the firmament. Thank you so much. Love, Zane.”
Isn’t that a lovely note? What every teacher/consultant/leader hopes for is having a student who actually follows your suggestion and then has success because of it. Getting notes like this is the icing on the cake: What we’re all working for, hungry for, panting for. Be a bright star in someone’s firmament. Be there. Help out. And remind everyone to ask God to play on the team.
Today’s Affirmation:
“I have many bright stars that help me navigate my ship!”
What a gift it is to be able to be of service and truly help someone. I mean it’s a gift to the one who is privileged to be of service. Some of the most treasured moments of my life are when someone I’m talking with has an “aha!” experience – does it feel that way to you, too? Remember that being able to be helped is also a priceless gift you are giving to someone to allow them to help you.
I received a letter from someone who had taken my class years ago and still reads “The Wealthy Spirit”. She spoke of challenges she had, how she lost everything, and how she worked through it and regained all that she had lost and more, saying that I had helped her. She finished with, “I am yours forever.”
I cried and read it four times over. This is a letter that I will bring out on a Blue Day when everything seems to be going wrong, the Bag Lady in my head is scolding me, when the person I called hangs up on me, when the people I try to help reject me. And I will remember that I am here to offer help, but it is someone else’s gift to give to be willing to receive it.
