What is a Rock?

My best buddy Fred, and I were running this past weekend and he told me about a very cool meeting that he attended where a facilitator took the group some very thought-provoking exercises.  One involved a bowl of water with a rock sitting in the bottom of the bowl.  When asked about what happened when the rock went into the water, the group responded with a number of answers.  What the facilitator was trying to get at was the impact of the rock on the water and the ripples that get created when a rock is thrown into water. 

The conversation then led to what are the rocks that we can throw into waters to make a difference with our lives.  Fred had a very thoughtful insight when he asked the group, "What really creates the ripples?  Is it the rock or the action of the rock being thrown into the water?"  He then went on to explain that in his own life he sees throwing a rock (money, influence, etc.) into needed waters as the easy way out.  Throwing a rock every now and then doesn't take as much commitment as becoming personally the rock. 

I sat with that thought and loved where he took that conversation because I also know that those things that are most rewarding and fulfilling that I do is not the "donation" made, but the "contribution" I make with my time. experience and energy.  When we go beyond giving and turn that into serving, it is then that we become the rock.  This lesson can be applied not only across those things that we are doing for "good" (as it seemed the context was in my friend's discussion) but also in how we are going about our daily work and life activities.

It's worth the question today...are we throwing rocks or are being rocks?

(For a further faith based application of this post you can visit: http://purposedworking.blogspot.com)