Beauty in a Look
Professor Ewart ordered a grand house built with some unusual enclosures in the yard, so he could pursue his passion of hybridizing zebras in Scotland. (Say WHAT?!)
Years later, the zebras are only pictures on the wall, and the house is a hotel where we met for a seminar in Penicuik, Scotland.
While the professor was committed to tinkering with God’s design, we were focused on getting people back to God’s design. That involved zooming out from the granular to see a bigger expression of who they were.
One particularly compelling exercise was with a man called “Fred” who is a highly successful petrochemical engineer who specialized in flow. From the oil field to the refinery, he could design a process that was optimal for the movement of sticky fluid.
While he clearly had some excellent education in engineering, it seemed as though there was something of God’s design here that was portable to other applications.
We worked incrementally. The central issue was flow, but it did not have to be petroleum. His gifting was in designing effective systems for flow, but they did not have to be pipes and pumps.
Suddenly the Holy Spirit told me that there was a quintessential British office that captured that dynamic. I told him that and his face became quite quizzical. Then I said the word: A Butler!
The look on his face as the Holy Spirit built out the picture was sheer beauty.
A Butler is expected to make his process nearly invisible. He is an administrator with power to hire and fire. He is responsible for overseeing the household functions on a multitude of levels. It is his job to maintain the supply lines of sundry products in an appropriate manner.
But most of all, he is prized for the invisibility of what he does. In a castle managed by an exceptional Butler, his work is in the background, flowing exquisitely behind the scenes. People only see the final product, delivered on time, with class and with no drama.
Fred savored repackaging his combination of original design and learned skills into being a coach for “butlers” in society at large. Anyone who is in charge of flow, of any sort, was now a prospective beneficiary of his years of expertise, transferred from one field to another.
The look of dignity that replaced his look of determination was simply elegant.
Beauty in a look, as the Holy Spirit brooded over his spirit.
Copyright November 2018 by Arthur Burk
Leave a comment
Comments
Butlering
By : Cyndi Shanklin On September 15th 2019I love that God is not a snob. And the dignity that Fred found through your word picture of butlering is awesome. Sometimes the most profound revelations come from looking for His purpose in our lowly positioning.
Beauty in a Look
By : Cynthia Harris On November 14th 2018The miracle of Reframing.
What you did with Fred reminds me of what Jesus did so effortlessly, like with the Samaritan woman at the well, when He engaged with her in theological conversation, giving her such a level of surprised empowerment that she was able to move the whole village out to come and hear Jesus.
Or my favorite, the Syrophoenician woman in Matthew 15, where Jesus spoke a difficult & challenging word to her, offering her the typical inflammatory statement that would open up an argument between scholars, a huge compliment, and unheard-of Reframing for that type of woman at that time. And then commended her in front of EVERYONE for her response.
Same way as you Reframed Fred here.
Your last sentence makes me weep every time I read it:
"Beauty in a look, as the Holy Spirit brooded over his spirit."
Thank you.
Amen!
By : Elouise On November 12th 2018Amen to Jenny Collins’ comment! AMEN!
Flow Optimizer = God Given Design = The Butler --> AWE
By : Dietrich Podehl On November 12th 2018Optimizer in Flow of petrochemical products as a carreer
advancing-developing into Flow in different other processes incl spiritual
Sum: detecting, languaging, and legitmizing-->
Freds given design by Father-G-d Flow optimizer =Office of "The Butler".
Personaly watching this realisiation sinking deep into Fred
displayed on his face, in his posture, in His whole being
-->AWE, Beauty, AWE, Beauty, AWE, Beauty
Beautiful!
By : Jenny Collins On November 12th 2018Beautiful! Only God could go from petrochemical engineer to butler! But it totally makes sense. I love how you partnered with Holy Spirit to language that connection to Fred's office. I can just imagine that look.
And since butlers were in charge of all the wine, I bless Fred with decanting and serving the Master's new wine that will flow forth in his new season.
Dignity
By : Alexa Barnard On November 12th 2018I love how this story builds out. God really has deposited in us all something of himself. We just need to see it differently many times. This remind so strongly of how God, jesus Christ and holy spirit is right through scripture old and new. How magnificently they create the flow for our salvation. Beautiful story
Dignity
By : Amy Dudley On November 12th 2018Dignity is Beauty
Beauty is Dignity
~ Profound ~