Are you making time for uncertainty?

Imagine for a second if every action, every next step was made with complete certainty.  Where would you be right now, how do you grow without building in a small measure of uncertainty?  This small business is teaching us tons about how we’re at our best when allow ourselves room for uncertainty, room to grow, and sensing direction as much as using family, facts and friends to inform our next step.  God doesn’t hit me over the head, send a shiver up my crooked spine or whisper in my ear.  He gets my attention by breaking my heart.  There might be something to those goosebumps too, but I’m after more data.  No there isn’t a blood trail when it happens, but keep reading and I tell you how a hound dog, an invisible trail and a clumsy instant message lead to Imagene and the Key Holders Club.

A central theme of this tiny new business is growing imagination in children.  Researchers tell us imagination is inherent in all of us, and it needs exercise at a young age to grow.  Like a compass or a sturdy pair of boots, we’re learning imagination is tops on the packing list for a hike towards hope and dreams.

We never envisioned selling all the goodies to fill up a dollhouse or sending people to a store or website to spend more money on furniture, pots and pans or a boom box (age defining word usage huh).  The plan was always to provide simple instructions for making the goodies out of household items so it’s an everybody hike – good for buy-one and give-one friends.  The plan was slightly under developed on paper; it read “find someone”.  I shook the family tree, met with local friends known for craftiness, and scanned youtube channels for over a year with no success.  Then one day Jessica released a hound that stole my heart.

If you look at our social media feed you’ll see typo’s, inconsistent use of spacing, caption messages that wander between gushing lover of agency kids, hackish wood-worker and wanna-be theologian.  This second-career skill set translates into some wandering in the way I view social media too.  One morning these skills lead to a two-day old Instagram account with I think three followers and nine posted pictures; the ninth is below and below that is our #1 shop dog Liberty.  Uncanny right!  The tear reflex came and I did an uncertain thing…instant message a total stranger.  Gang, we’re here for each other, the trails cross for a reason.  It’s who you’re following that matters; those likes are temporary.

Back to my stalking, that’s the creepy feeling I had at first.  In the message I introduced myself, the workshop and its mission, who I was looking for and eagerly asked who are you?  It sounds almost rude doesn’t it…who are you?  But, if you’ve already made your mind up to listen, and you use the right tone and cadence, it can be one of the most gratifying questions we can ask each other.  Who are you Jessica?

Two days later we met over the phone, traded answers to the question and posed new ones for each other.  I learned who Jessica was, and that she builds in a small amount of uncertainty in the way she does life with her husband and children – room to grow.  What had been growing inside her and needed to come out was a childhood passion for upcycling, crafting, creating, leading her own children and more down the same trail.  I wasn’t the only one praying the ‘find someone’ prayer.  Two days earlier she did the same before opening an Instagram account and releasing the hounds.

You know that part of a conversation where, for a few awkward seconds, the circumstances lead you to consider testifying to the relentless love of the Holy Spirit to a total stranger?  I’m not sure I’ll ever be great at this, but I’m sure grateful Jessica is.  Friends, make room for this love in your backpack regardless of your trail, and share it without hesitation.  It’s you being the blessing; the uncomfortable feeling growing pains in your heart and mind.

Jessica daringly created an Instagram account, and with a measure of uncertainty put tiny pieces of herself out there for the world to see.  I had a need, wandered social media, ‘found someone’ and sent a clumsy message.  Out of this room for uncertainty came Imagene and the Key Holders Club.  It’s an online source of inspiration and instruction for dollhouse goodies.  Your kids will proclaim your creative genius and you’ll be saving money.  Most important it’s a time maker, time for you with your children making memories and growing their imagination. 

If not a wood worker, I’ve become a staunch disbeliever in chance encounters.  They say there are 95 million posts made on Instagram per day.  Our 10,000-piece puzzle-like circumstances, solving for each other through all that noise?  Why would you trade a faith in relentless love, an understanding we each already have a purposeful trail made for us, for a map made with invisible ink?

Folks, pack your bags wisely, make time for uncertainty to happen and call out love when it happens.  Sure it’s going to rain occasionally, but collect more data and see if there is something else going on with your goosebumps.

Thanks for making time for the Shop Talk blog.  We’ll be sharing stories from the workshop, our Give Partners and things we hope brighten your day.  Tell us how you stepped toward uncertainty below, and register to receive updates.