remembering isaac

we're christmas shopping, and there's a book signing. i ask him about his book. it's self published and full of sketchbook drawings. there's photos of a potter creating a bowl if you flip through the pages.

here's an excerpt:


''...that is your greatest assest."
"What, my ignorance?"

"No, your humility... Time and experience teaches some lessons, but not all of them. The thing that gave Isaac's words power was his humility. He knew pain, loss, and sorrow and he wanted to help others through it. He wanted to love the way God loved. He looked beyond a person's problem and into their heart."...

"How do I do that? I don't even know what's in my own heart sometimes. How am I supposed to see into others?"

..."You listen, you watch, and you pray like crazy. People are complicated. Sometimes it requires all the stars to be in perfect alignment for someone to open up. You learn to recognize the signs and then you move, praying for help and understanding that something you say might be what a person needs to hear"...

..."I don't think I know any artists who aren't pacifists. If you're involved in the creation process, it's difficult to also be involved in destruction. I've often wondered if that's not the reason God gave us art and artists, so we can help rebuild the world every time it's destroyed."...