Stay Out of the Ditch

I was in Honduras for the first time, working with Santos to build a house, and until my translator came over, I simply could not communicate beyond body language and hand motions. I needed to speak Spanish, but didn't know how. My ears couldn't hear, and my mouth couldn't speak. I had nothing to give. 

"Can one blind person lead another? Won't they both fall into a ditch? Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher." (Luke 36:39-40)

You can't give what you don't have.

You can't give what you don't have. I didn't have the ability to speak the language and needed someone to teach me how. Later that day, Santos and I were together laying block, and he started to hum a familiar song. He was quietly singing in Spanish, and as we slopped around the mortar, I joined him in English. Since we both knew the song, it was easy to begin to understand each other's language. That moment started a beautiful friendship that is still strong today.  

Think about our responsibilities to lead- to lead our families, our teams, and our own lives. Don't do it blindly and lead others into a ditch. This is what's behind our core conviction of being the expert. If we want to be effective, we have to learn how. We have to intentionally bring in the right information, surround ourselves with people who can teach us, and have the humility to seek feedback. We have to get so that we can give.  

Everything rises and falls based on leadership. If you are struggling with the trajectory of your family, your business, your health, or your faith, then look at who is leading. You. Don't wander around blindly. Go seek the information you need and put it to work. Stay out of the ditch and become the expert so that you can help others do so also.