Adirondack with magine!
02.01.2010

Adirondack Header with magine
Michael Fox CPCC,
founer of  magine!,
is a professional
coach and trainer,
author and creative artist, whose work has been featured throughout
the world.
Five smooth stones...
It can prove illuminating to return to the biblical stories of our youth and to compare our early impressions with the realities of the narrative. We may discover that our imagination exaggerated details of the story while our naivete overlooked the intrinsic wisdom of the account. Observe, for example, the thrilling episode of David and Goliath, recorded in 1 Samuel 17...

First, Goliath was not a giant, at least not of the caliber of Jack's nemesis in Jack and the Beanstalk. Goliath was a mere nine feet, nine inches tall. Disappointing, yes; however, at two-and-a-half feet taller and arguably stronger than the typical NBA center, Goliath was yet quite a formidable foe.

Second, young David's sling was not a child's toy. In years prior to David's generation, scriptures report that there were seven hundred ambidextrous men in Israel, each of whom "could sling a stone at a hair and not miss" (Judges 20:16). In retrospect, then, we observe that David refused the unwieldy, untested armor offered by King Saul and instead opted for the rude but effective weapon with which he was most familiar. Game on.

Third, David was not so impudent that he chose just one perfect stone from the brook in preparation for the throwdown with Goliath. It strikes me, were we in David's sandals, we might have been content to sling one stone for all its worth, presuming an unseen hand from above would help it find its spot on Goliath's forehead. Were that first attempt to fail, we might have excused ourselves from further effort with the suggestion, "Taking out Goliath is obviously not my destiny." And then flee. Quickly. David, however, chose five smooth stones from the brook, implying that he was prepared to fail four times.


So what are your takeaways after revisiting the story
of David and Goliath?


Who, or what, does your Goliath look like?

Have you previously limited yourself to "one shot" at your giant?

What familiar tools might give you advantage over the giant?

What do your five smooth stones represent?

What else is there?
Michael Fox
m�agine!

530/613.2774
P.O. Box 9144
Auburn, CA, USA 95604
In addition to personal and professional coaching,
m�agine! specializes in spiritual transformation coaching,
employing its proprietary models: Values, Vision, Voice and Heart, Soul, Mind & Strength
.
Michael's books include Complete in Christ,
Complete in Christ Spiritual Transformation Workbook, and Biblio�files.

Coaching fees are based upon a sliding scale. Contact us for details.

Limited scholarships are available for spiritual transformation coaching.
On the flip side, if you are able, please inquire about opportunities
to fund scholarships for those who cannot afford coaching fees.

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