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| photo by Nancy Bates |
Help With A Project
Recently a friend called me with a project idea. I'm naturally an entrepreneurial guy so people often call to run ideas by me, to see what I think, get a second opinion. My goal is to pick out the great ideas from the good ones.
So my friend calls and asks me about a software program he's writing. He wants to know if it would work for the market of people I have a lot of exposure to in my field. We talk, then respond by email, and share ideas back and forth.
Here's the trick, the one thing he never did was ask me to jump in and help. He asked for my connections. He asked for my opinion. But, he never ask for my Buy-In, Risk, and Responsibility. He never asked me to join him and actually make connections, help make the sales calls, help create a test market; he was in the trenches doing the work he may have thought I would never want to do. The truth is, he never asked. I probably would have helped in some way. As it is now, the conversation is pretty much dead in the water.
The conversation ended because there was no buy-in. I'm a busy dad with four kids, a driven personality, and a full schedule. Am I going to put energy into something I can't engage in responsibility back? No. I'm going to take the risk that's most in front of me and able to be tackled like a fury.
I wanted to engage; not be the bystander in someone else's parade.
What God Wants?
At the heart of God is a communion: God as three-in-one. He embodies perfect love and friendship within himself. This means that within the very being of God is the desire to engage. In fact he is pure perfect engagement. What he wants is to engage with you.
So, how's it going? Are you giving God what He wants or are you holding back?
AB.
*written by Abraham Bates - photos by Nancy Bates Photography - Copyright AbrahamBates.com
