LEARNING TO YIELD, LEARNING TO TEACH

  

    My esteemed teacher ( through his books  and generous e-mail responses ), Walter Brueggemann, loves the word yield.  I do, too.  Where does yielding work in my life?  

     I try to yield to my age (84 in June),  and celebrate that reaiity by a great deal of snoozing,  quitting outdoor work after forty minutes,  sitting by the fire in sheer joy.

       The ole fella said: Sometimes I sets and thinks; and sometimes I just sets.

      I try more and more to yield by offering a quiet response to what others say.  My voluble responses of the past are not necessary today, nor are they healthy for me or

for  the other.  A quiet response face to face can be a nod and a warm smile; on the phone , “Yes!  I see. “  Such yielding moves us both!

      I try to yield to the weather, celebrating rain and snow,  heat and humidity, glorious blue sky North Carolina days - without distinction.  All is grace.

      I try to yield to the  joy of cooking and of  dining  with friends.  Yielding in this case means taking time.  Slow down, Jane, you move too fast!

      I yield to my importunate cocker spaniel’s big brown eyes staring at me exactly at five p.m., reminding me: It is dinner time!

       I am trying to yield to the relentless “buts” that  respond to a suggestion I make.  It was only a suggestion. Thanks for listening.

      I see now that yielding, far from being a sign of weakness, is a sign of  deep trust and strength.  Jesus’ mother is reported to have said, as she yielded to God:  Be it done to me according to your Word.  Later in the story, Jesus is said  to have repeated his mother’s prayer, saying in the garden, 

“ Not my will, but thine, be done”.

        What  has all this got to do with teaching?  What you do speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you are saying! 

         Thank you, Walter Brueggemann!