Harold said, 'he'll never talk about himself.' Harold raised me spiritually and was so impressive that I wanted to meet the fellow who had helped him the same way. I was making a trip to Florida where Harold's Bill lived, and Harold set up a visit to Bill's house. But he warned me he wouldn't talk about himself.
I sat in Bill's living room and he could tell I didn't have any agenda or questions other than meeting him. I just wanted to soak up what this fellow was like. He was part of my spiritual geneology. You would think I'd have some questions but I didn't.
After a few minutes it might have felt awkward to him. He started doing what Harold said he wouldn't -- talk about himself. He told stories. The story of proving that you could build and pay for a house debt-free, by faith, without great wealth; we were sitting in that house now. The story of his wife's liberating life-change thru illness and recovery. How he prayed that God would change his life the same way and so he prepared to get sick himself but instead his wife asked him for a divorce. His change came thru confronting what kind of guy he was that would make his wife want to divorce him.
There were more stories he told about himself. After a few hours, I thought, my God there IS another one (like Harold). And I was awed at being part of a chain like this that went back to Jesus.
There's one kind of talking about yourself that makes you the focus and sets you in the middle of things and makes it seem like your main interest is yourself. It can even make you look insecure, as if you think you don't exist if you're not visible in the conversation.
There's another kind of talking about yourself. Where the listener hears you, but sees something else. A painting. And you're the brush. The details in the painting are the details of your story. But the picture as a whole ends up revealing the artist more than you.
I like Monet paintings -- I don't know why, just the feel and the mood. There are other impressionists who painted the same kinds of scenes in the same style -- but there's only one Monet. And most people, though untrained in art, can tell the difference. Monet may not be the subject of the painting, but he's definitely revealed.
Sometimes I need to be humble and not talk about myself -- when that talking sounds like I-Me-Mine and just draws attention to the brush.
But since meeting Bill, I know sometimes I'd better talk and tell my story and let the brush do some painting, knowing the picture just happens to include me. If I don't, and if you don't, a masterpiece might be missing from the artist's gallery.
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