Letting Things Pass Through To The 'Keeper

"The prudent man keeps quiet in such times, for the times are evil."

-Amos 5:13 (NIV)

Isn't it amazing how quickly we're caught into sin? We stumble and falter and we're, using cricketing terminology, 'caught at the wicket.' This means we feather through a catch to the wicketkeeper and rue the mistake as we walk back to the changerooms. It is no different in life. Sometimes we wished we'd not said anything.

s

The classic case is when we're at a meeting where there's a defined agenda--one that ought to be stuck to... have you noticed how many undisciplined people, though, who waver and bring in side issues or dive into the detail that should not be delved into at that time? For it may not be the purpose of that group to do such a thing.

s

I find it staggering how people waver and take things off track. Being a facilitator I'm always wary of people going off channel and hijacking meetings for either their own gain or simply because they're not disciplined over what they say. It's my task to respectfully and tactfully say words to the effect, 'Sorry, we not here for that.'

s

The important point is this: we can respond to everything that's put out there, but is that our purpose? I think not always. If there's something put out there that is not part of the purpose of the time or group we ought to let it pass through to the wicketkeeper, so that our 'innings' or time is not threatened by wayward attempts to lose the path. If we let it pass through we remain 'not out,' so to speak.

s

Letting things go through to the wicketkeeper is a job for the prudent. This is one charater trait that assists us so much to be effective people and facilitators of life. In doing this we're showing ourselves faithful to a broader cause than the perpertrator or even ourselves.