The Need To Be Creative

What can missionaries do?

This is a question we often hear…
and, indeed, a question we ask ourselves every day.
In places where “traditional” missionary ministry
is not possible… then what?
What unexplored frontiers are there for us?

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The WATERMELON PARABLE
(From forwarded messages in the Internet)

Japanese grocery stores had a problem. They are much smaller than their US counterparts and therefore don't have room to waste. Watermelons, big and round, wasted a lot of space. Most people would simply tell the grocery stores that watermelons grow round and there is nothing that can be done about it. That is how I would assume the vast majority of people would respond. But some Japanese farmers took a different approach. If the supermarkets wanted a square watermelon, they asked themselves, "How can we provide one?" It wasn't long before they invented the square watermelon.

The solution to the problem of round watermelons wasn't nearly as difficult to solve for those who didn't assume the problem was impossible to begin with and simply asked how it could be done. It turns out that all you need to do is place them into a square box when they are growing and the watermelon will take on the shape of the box.

This made the grocery stores happy and had the added benefit that it was much easier and cost effective to ship the watermelons. Consumers also loved them because they took less space in their refrigerators, which are much smaller than those in the US, meaning that the growers could charge a premium price for them.

What does this have to do with anything besides square watermelons? There are a few lessons that can we can take away from this story. Here are a few of them:

Don't Assume. The major problem was that most people had always seen round watermelons so they automatically assumed that square watermelons were impossible before even thinking about the question. Things that you have been doing a certain way your entire life have taken on the aura of the round watermelon and you likely don't even take the time to consider if there is another way to do it. Breaking yourself from assuming this way can greatly improve your overall life as you are constantly looking for new and better ways to do things. This was one of the most difficult things for me to do because most of the assumptions I make, I don't even realize that I'm making them. They seem perfectly logical on the surface, so I have to constantly make an effort to question them.

Question habits. The best way to tackle these assumptions is to question your habits. If you can make an effort to question the way you do things on a consistent basis, you will find that you can continually improve the way that you live your life. I have changed a large number of habits that I have had after taking the time to question them and continue to do so. It's a never ending process, but by doing this, you can consistently strive toward making all aspects of your life more enjoyable instead of defaulting to what you have now.

Be creative. When faced with a problem, be creative in looking for a solution. This often requires thinking outside the box. Being creative and looking at things in different ways in all portions of your life will help you find solutions to many problems where others can't see them. I am not a creative person, but I've found that the more I look at things from different perspectives, the more creative I have become. It's a learned art and builds upon itself.

Look for a better way. The square watermelon question was simply seeking a better and more convenient way to do something. It's impossible to find a better way if you never ask the question in the first place. Get into the habit of asking yourself, "Is there a better way I could be doing this?" and you will find there often is.

Impossibilities often aren't. If you begin with the notion that something is impossible, then it obviously will be for you. If, on the other hand, you decide to see if something is possible or not, you will find out through trial and error. Take the lessons from the square watermelons and apply them to all areas in your life (work, finances, relationships, etc.) and you will find that by consistently applying them, you will constantly be improving all aspects of your life.

And that is how the “square watermelon”
is making our mission team change our questions,
forcing us to be creative and to look for better
and new ways of doing things.

With “Pentecost” with us, “impossible is nothing”!