How Do You Eat An Elephant... ?

FROM THE BOOK -

Tuck sighed slightly, pursed his lips, and looked around the room, like he was searching for something. Then he leaned forward, and with a softer tone laid out something I had sensed about the world instinctively, but had never heard put into words…

“Travis, in the act of defending his home and his family, and in the course of war, many a good man determines and does many a hard thing… without malice or evil intent. They do these things, son, because the wicked, who, without cause, bring harm to the innocent… in their relentless, bold glee to cause that suffering, make such strong actions necessary. Does that make a man ‘mean’?”

“No sir”.

Tuck glanced into some unseen distance for a moment, like I’d seen him do so many times before. And then, with a soft sadness framing his face, he continued. “And here’s the flip side of that, Travis. Much of the true evil of ‘mean’ folk slides between the ribs and into the heart by them doing absolutely… nothing. When ‘mean’ people have a chance to tell a truth that would bring freedom, to stand up and give testimony or a warning that would turn the tide, and with a bland, blinking look of total innocence, they stand by, and do… nothing.” His eyes narrowed then, but I could see the flame burning hot and bright within them. “That, my boy… is the beastly heart of ‘MEAN’.”

Tuck watched me chew on that last statement for a bit. Then, as he got up to get more coffee, he cleared his throat to get my attention and said as he went by, “If he were as mean as I’m thinking they made him out to be, ask yourself just one question, son… how is it they have all lived to this day… unmarked?”

I had to admit, that was a good question, and one that had faintly ghosted the halls of my mind from time to time. But it also set off my next question.

“So, was he afraid?”

Tuck never even slowed down in the hall. In a calm, matter-of-fact tone he called back, “Well now, that’s a good and fair question, Travis. Asked him that myself, one time.”

I waited what I thought was plenty of time for the old man to come back through the doorway with his coffee, and the answer. But the only thing that made its way through that opening was the sound of things being rustled and clattered in the kitchen… and Tuck Arnold hummin’!

______________________

QUESTIONS -

* As a SEARCHER, you ever have something you truly felt like you would bust if you didn't "know" everything about, if you didn't get ALL the information the second you asked for it?

Ever realize, later, that it was actually a blessing that the WHOLE truth took a while to get at?

...me too.

* As a MENTOR, have you ever known, with all your heart, that the searcher not only had the right to the WHOLE truth, but needed it for any real healing/learning/growth/success - but that unloading the entire mountain of it on them in one sitting... would do far more harm than good?

...yep, me too.

* Have you EVER had a searcher that was facing such a need (and mountain), who was 'content' the first time you told them that it would take 'time' to unpack and share the WHOLE TRUTH?

...me either. (...and that's o.k.)

I have literally lost absolutely EVERYTHING (well, everything I held precious and dear) no less than 8 times. EVERYTHING.

1. My mother, at the age of 7 - right in front of me
2. My 'life', as a loved, nurtured, 'normal' child - at age 8, when I became that "f#ckin' little b#st#rd STEP-MISTAKE!"
3. Any remote sense of 'home', at age 13 - when I walked out the door, after nearly killing the woman who had terrified an 8-11 year old, and gleefully, foolishly fueled the rage and hatred of a 12-13 year old
4. My admiration and adoration of, and closeness with my father... in the process (and for too many years thereafter)
5. Any even remote lingering hope for any form of restoration of that relationship, on Jan. 2, 1976 - when my father signed all custody rights over to a 'boys' home' (I can still smell the room, and hear the pen as it etched and inked across the signature line)
6. My dream of having a 'good' marriage and family, as I learned that my new bride was... not what she presented herself to be (we put each other through 16 years of living HELL with our mutual unhealed early life brokenness...)
7. My children, whom I loved (STILL LOVE) more than the breath in my body - when she disappeared and stole them, with the help of a church, her family, and a few lovers I didn't know about.
8. My consequent way of making a living (marketing and training consultant to FORTUNE 100 entities - for several wonderful, $$$$-making years) - starting April 10, 2008... lasting nearly FOUR years. I was considered one of the best at what I did. So, when the economy crashed, I kept banging my head against THAT wall, until I was, once again, penniless. VERY SLOW LEARNER.

Late in 2011 I traded my double pleats, soft leather loafers and button-downs in boardrooms for FRs, steel-toes and hardhats in refineries (something I hadn't done since I was a 19-20 year old homeless kid... and swore I would NEVER do again, LOL!). And it took me all of about two days to realize, that God's hand moving me there was not a 'punishment', but one of the richest healing blessings of my entire time down here.

Why?

Well, that answer is going to take some 'time'. But suffice to say that, in the company of those good, rough, blue-collar reminders of my early days - I found more purpose, more clean, refreshing JOY, contentment and PEACE than in all that I had spent so many years chasing.

And in the decades-long plunge and soul-wrecking drive to 'regain' those things "lost" I had asked, begged, bargained with - and screamed at the King who made me, literally until I had no physical voice - countless times, "W H Y????!!!!!!!!!!!"

By His rich Grace, I'm here to tell ya, I have gotten answers (well at least to those things concerning much of my end of things). And they have taken TIME. But I've also learned that had He given me all the answers, all at one sitting - I would have never been able to digest the GOOD of it all.

That elephant would have squashed me.

See what I mean about His Grace being so rich?

-CM Sackett-