Rocks in the Dryer

We have a little can on the shelf above our dryer to collect the “treasures” that our boys have left in their pockets. It is quite an eclectic collection. A button here, a quarter there, a lego person’s head, and lots of bandaids (we have a different little can for these). The only thing worse than cleaning bandaids out of the dryer is cleaning them out of a swimming pool. The shinny waterproof ones are fine, but the breathable bandaids have the texture of wet deli meat. (I’ll take a quarter pound of wet bandaid and some smoked gouda…)

• insert gross out shiver here

A couple of nights ago, my wife and I were next to our laundry room and something was clunking around in the dryer. It seemed big. The thump was loud. So loud that I did a quick check to make sure it wasn’t my cell phone. Then it occurred to me… I don’t typically hear my dryer. There is usually a very constant hum that goes undetected. I know when it is on, but it is like white noise… until the contents of someone’s pocket gets loose. Once that happens I hear every rotation.

This must have been how people walking around with Jesus felt. Imagine sitting on the “mount” listening to Jesus talk when he skips the opening stand up bit, the clever hook to get his audience interested in what he is about to say and jumps right to “happy are the poor in spirit” and “happy are those that mourn”.

What the rock in the dryer?!

The entire sermon on the mount is rock after rock in our dryer of relational life with those around us.

Love your enemies.
Do good works not so you are honored, but so God is honored.
Anger and murder are both liable to judgement.
Lust and adultery are interchangeable terms.
Be generous to those who are cruel to you.

The pile of rocks gets bigger and bigger and the dryer get louder and louder.

Jesus knew that in order for people to start acting different, they needed to see the world around them in a different light. This is a foundational leadership concept. It is the recognition that routine can dull our hearing and limit our effectiveness. Andy Stanley, the Lead Pastor at Northpoint Church in Atlanta uses the phrase “time in erodes awareness of” to describe our lack of perception of the physical environments around us. This is just as true for our personal environment.

There is a phrase in baseball when a runner is on base and the pitcher wants to keep the runner from getting too big of a lead called “varying your looks”. This means that you need to keep yourself from doing the same thing over and over so the runner cannot become comfortable with how you are pitching and gain an advantage to steal a base.

I remember one Sunday at church when I was helping ush. It happened to correspond with a new chair configuration in the sanctuary. For the first 10 minutes of each of the services there were a dozen or so people who kept wandering around the back of the room. Walking up to see if I could help one of them, who was obviously distressed. “My seat is gone”, he whispered, “how am I supposed to hear the message?” Immediately I began to smirk and 27 snarky comments began creeping from my brain to my tongue. Thankfully I quickly realized that this poor guy was serious. His “look” had gotten varied for him and he was unprepared.

If we, as leaders, can choose to “vary our looks” it will allow us to see, and be prepared to see the world around us in a different light. Four common areas that are easily adjustable and have the opportunity to change your professional perspective are: your schedule, your interactions, your environment, and your influence.

Your schedule:

~ If you typically go to work at 9:00am, go in early and leave early. Or go in late and leave late.

~ Switch your days off.

~ If you are always in the office, work from home for a couple of days.

~ If you consistently travel, schedule a chunk of time to be in the office.

Your interactions:

~ Take your lunch break with people you don’t typically work with or interact with.

~ Invite the staff person you typically avoid over for dinner.

~ If you are more of a task focused individual, increase your relational capacity with those you lead.

Your environment:

~ Move your office into a common area.

~ Spend more time in the break room.

~ Meet outside or go for a hike or walk as your meeting.

Your influence:

~ Let someone else run the meeting.

~ Organize a gathering of up and coming leaders (regardless of reporting hierarchy).

~ Allow someone else to have the idea or make the decision.

~ Use your position to champion someone’s cause/idea (this does not include an all staff invite to someone’s Pampered Chef party).

If you want a different perspective you have to place yourself in a different position in order to hear the rock in the dryer.