Wednesday, May 1, 2002
Wednesday, May 1, 2002
For the LORD will build up Zion; he will appear in his glory.
Then a similar club was formed. It was called "The Wranglers." The Wranglers were female
students also with outstanding writing ability. Like their male counterparts they would read
their writings at meetings and would critique one another. There was one noticeable
difference. The Wranglers' criticism was gentle, thoughtful, positive and kind. They lifted each
other up and encouraged one another.
Twenty years later, a university researcher looked at the careers of the members of both
groups. Not one of the bright young talents in "The Stranglers" had achieved a literary
reputation of any kind. "The Wranglers," on the other hand, had produced half a dozen
prominent, successful writers. What was the difference? The formats of both groups were
similar. Both groups had very talented students. The difference was that "The Stranglers" cut
each other down while "The Wranglers" lifted each other up. "The Stranglers" strangled the life
out of one another. "The Wranglers" were life enhancing.
Can God count on you being a wrangler?
(Psalm 102.16
NRSV)
Many years ago at the University of Wisconsin, there was an undergraduate literary club. The
club consisted of male students who had demonstrated outstanding talent in writing. At each
meeting one of the students would read aloud a story or essay he had written, and then submit
it to the others for criticism. The criticism was brutal. Nothing was held back. The students
showed no mercy in dissecting the material line by line. So hateful were the sessions that the
members called themselves "The Stranglers."
Dear God, in so many ways you have been a great wrangler in my life. May I pass it on to
those in need of it today. Amen.
 Click here to Vote for this site! |
 Click here to Subscribe! |
|---|