Roger von Oech wrote an intriguing little book about creativity and leadership. It’s titled, “A Kick in the Seat of the Pants.” He talks about the importance of staying open to new ideas. Here’s the insight, “One thing can lead to something completely different.”
He tells the story of Steve Jobs.
I once asked Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs why some people are more creative than others. He replied, “Innovation is usually the result of connections of past experiences and luck. But if you have the same experiences as everybody else, you’re unlikely to look in a different direction. For example, I went to Reed College in Portland. At Reed, most of the men took modern dance classes from a woman named Judy Massey. We did it to meet the women. I didn’t realize how much I had learned about movement and perception from that class until a few years later when I worked for Nolan Bushnell at Atari. I was able to relate how much resolution of movement you need in terms of perceiving things in certain ways for video games.” Jobs was trying to get a date; instead he ended up fine-tuning the video game “Breakout.” (This probably got him a lot of dates.)
One thing can lead to another. Paul showed us that. Sometimes he had clear direction. Other times he just kept moving Until God’s will became clear. Acts 16 tells of the time he drifted all the way across Asia Minor waiting on direction from God.
And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;
and when they had come to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;
and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
Paul had no idea where he was heading. Only that he was going in the right direction. And when the time was right, it all made sense.
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a certain man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
He started the journey in Iconium in the Eastern part of modern Turkey. He ended up on the sea coast in western Turkey. 400+ miles over mountainous rugged terrain on foot, and all that time he did NOT know where he was going. But he kept moving, knowing that eventually one thing would lead to another. You might be there right now. Waiting, wondering. God what do you want. Keep moving. Stay faithful. One day his plan will become clear.
Bill Dye Ministries 