day 1376: When Innovation Flops

“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

No, I mean, when innovation "Fosbury Flops"!  It's a great thing.  I read that Dick Fosbury was recently presented a lifetime achievement award at the Tribeca Film Festival Disruptive Innovation Awards.  I think this is so cool as what one person did, changed the way everybody else did it, and no one ever went back.  If you don't know the story it goes like this. At 16 years old, Fosbury started experimenting with a different way to clear the bar during a high jump. At the time, everyone used the "Straddle" method where they rolled over face forward.  Fosbury kept perfecting his backward arching method that eventually took him all the way to the Olympic Gold Medal title in 1968. Today, everyone who competes uses his method.  His story of innovation is a great one.  He saw a way to do something different, had the courage to try, and put up with the ridicule and teasing along the way. He stuck with it until he perfected the technique and showed that his method could win him the highest title known. And, all of that going backwards and not being able to see where he might fall. It's a great story of starting and finishing what others said couldn't be done.

God challenges us to finish well and when we do, we will hear Him say to us, Well done!"  To finish we must start. To finish we must continue. To finish we must be ready for the new and the different.  To finish we must be willing to accept our flops and know that when we fall, there is someone to fall into His arms safely. God doesn't ask us to be the highest jumper, but He does ask us to try.  And, He can turn our flops into stories for Him.  What are we holding back today for fear of failure or flopping?

Reference:  Matthew 25:21 (New Living Translation)