{"id":34887,"date":"2024-01-15T11:34:29","date_gmt":"2024-01-15T19:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=34887"},"modified":"2024-01-15T11:35:54","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T19:35:54","slug":"thread-of-gold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/thread-of-gold\/","title":{"rendered":"Thread of Gold"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Mining for Gold<\/em>, Tom Comacho explores ways for individuals to recognize their spiritual and\u00a0 personal gifts, their gold. The process for doing this can be for personal use or to assist others to find what inspires and energizes them through coaching.<\/p>\n

Reading this book brought a flood of thoughts that initially seemed independent of one another but on reflection, each is a thread that has been weaving through my life as God invests and refines the person I am.<\/p>\n

Comacho suggested an exercise to study Romans 12:6-8[1]<\/a> and reflect on what gift resonates most. Reading them it was abundantly clear that leadership was present. Yet, my leadership is grounded in faith and desire to serve the Lord by inviting others to participate in that service. This affirms a belief that we are not just one thing. Our primary gift may lie in one area but there are secondary and tertiary gifts that can augment the primary gift to create a stronger, multidimensional person.<\/p>\n

During my master\u2019s work for Mental Health Counseling, the professors recommended we find a therapist. I learned that knowing the vulnerability of opening my world complete with failures and fears to another human being who would help me process, assess and then pray through them was one of the best things I could do. I became a better version of myself and my empathy for my clients was genuine. I look forward to experiencing coaching next.<\/p>\n

While working as a counselor, I often thought that if people had someone to really listen to them, the need for counseling could be diminished. That was an oversimplification, but we were made to be in relationship with God and each other. We need someone to listen to and help us explore our joys, anticipations, fears, and sorrows.<\/p>\n

When Martyn Percy spoke in Oxford, he mentioned The Rule of Benedict<\/em> \u00a0book because it starts with profound words that related to his topic, ” Listen carefully, my son”.[2]<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0I knew I needed to read it. However, my first reading of this book brought disappointment. I saw the abbot as a dictator with authority to instill fear of punishment upon the monks to teach them obedience and humility. While good qualities, the methods were harsh and humiliating, which is different than the humility he sought.<\/p>\n

I wonder if my initial reaction to The Rule of Benedict<\/em> was tainted by my experience in a Catholic elementary school where fears of unexpected punishments were constant. Yet, I knew I needed to revisit The Rule of Benedict<\/em> when reading Mining for Gold<\/em>. Even though the methods were extreme, I was open to consider that it was another form of purifying the gold within the monks under his care. In the second reading I saw thought processes and reasons for his methods. I am pleased that the Benedictine code has been modified, but still disagree with them. However, it is another point of view that gives me a fuller picture of how God, even in harsh circumstances can purify the hearts of individuals.<\/p>\n

In When God Interrupts: Finding New Life Through Unwanted Change<\/em>, M. Craig Barnes, [3]<\/a>professor, and pastor, shared different scenarios of interruptions in everyday life. These could be expected such as when failing eyesight limits an older person\u2019s ability to drive, or a beloved family member dies. It could also be the loss of a job, friend, or a home. In all of them, Barnes discussed where people could call on God to help them find new life through the change. Barnes\u2019 book is an encouragement to church leaders in their work with people in transitions.<\/p>\n

I do not think that God is zapping people arbitrarily to teach lessons but uses the situations of life to teach and refine. God is present in the pain as is stated in the oft quoted scripture Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (NIV).<\/p>\n

Each of these books offers a different perspective on ways refining the gold of our lives can happen.\u00a0 For me, I picture me running a race, tired, thirsty, and dragging. God is running the race alongside me, knowing when I will fall and picking me up to continue. The race might include something unkind that I said or one that I had no control over such as the death of our child, many years ago, when he was 19 years old. About 4 weeks after his funeral, I needed to go to a grocery store. Stepping inside, everyone was hurriedly going about their shopping, and I froze. My thoughts screamed\u00a0 inside me wondering why everyone didn\u2019t know that the world had come to a screeching halt. Slow down! Don\u2019t miss something! I felt God\u2019s nudge in the store that day telling me it was okay to move slowly and know God was bigger than even the death of our son. The world is God\u2019s, and God was with me. As the healing gradually took hold, I knew then and today that I am a different person after experiencing pain and sadness.<\/p>\n

The final takeaway for this book is an affirmation that coaching is a part of leadership no matter the setting. While in a secular world I am limited in the words I use to coach my direct reports, I have been asking many of the coaching questions for years. And even in a secular setting, when I silently ask God to assist me to be the leader God wants me to be, I sense God\u2019s presence and guidance.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Comacho, Tom, Mining For Gold, Developing Kingdom Leaders through Coaching<\/em> (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 2019), 132.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Fry, Timothy, OSB, ed., Imogene Baker, OSB, Timothy Horner, OSB, Augusta Raabe, OSB, Mark Sheridan, OSB, eds., The Rule of St. Benedict in English, (Collegeville, Minnesota, 2019), 9.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Barnes, Craig M. When God Interrupts (Downers Grove, IL, 1996)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Mining for Gold, Tom Comacho explores ways for individuals to recognize their spiritual and\u00a0 personal gifts, their gold. The process for doing this can be for personal use or to assist others to find what inspires and energizes them through coaching. Reading this book brought a flood of thoughts that initially seemed independent of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":211,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/211"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34887"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34890,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34887\/revisions\/34890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}