Sandra Heska King

daring to open doors

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Surprise!

September 13, 2010 By Sandra Heska King

Busy days. Cluttered days.

How do we break through and create a sense of “HUH?”

Like finding a beautifully wrapped gift on a favorite chair.

I didn’t see that coming.

Did my husband buy something special at Macy’s and find a Nordstom person (Nordie) to wrap it for me?

Sticky messages are unexpected.

Surprise!

They tease and flirt and hold attention even in the midst of mess.

Back to that blue package.

I now have a gap in my knowledge.

What’s in that box?

I wonder. I guess. I wait for the giver.

I consider all wonderful kinds of things.

Tension heightens.

Mystery now created not from an unexpected moment (captured by the gift) but now from an unexpected journey (unwrapping the gift.)

AHA!

Definitely not what I expected.

Chip and Dan Heath describe how sticky messages are not only simple, but they are also unexpected. They break our schema–our guessing machine–create mystery and knowledge gaps.

They make us thirsty to the core.

End of chapter 2. Read it to find out more about Nordies.

I’m taking part in my first book study over at High Calling Blogs, discussing Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath, learning why some ideas survive and others die. Pop over there and read the post and discussion led by Laura Boggess as well as links to other posts.

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Filed Under: stories and reflections

Comments

  1. L.L. Barkat says

    September 13, 2010 at 1:00 pm

    I loved the Nordies thing. I feel like I should be a Nordie in my own home and life. 🙂

    • Sandra says

      September 14, 2010 at 3:39 pm

      Can’t I just be surrounded by Nordies?

  2. laura says

    September 13, 2010 at 1:15 pm

    Ahh…this makes me want to go to New York! What a sweet gift…does it have special meaning? (gap in my knowledge). I liked this chapter too, Sandra…and I especially like how you pack so much in this post! You really got that first chapter down pat!

    • Sandra says

      September 14, 2010 at 3:42 pm

      Here’s the deal about the gift. My husband works for NYL and won the game at a meeting by answering some trivia question correctly. You can imagine all the things I was thinking could be in that box, all the way from little itty bitty things. I should have known better. Brought back memories of another beautifully wrapped Christmas gift–containing two smoke alarms! A very sticky memory. 🙂

  3. Jay Cookingham says

    September 13, 2010 at 2:42 pm

    I happen to believe the Gospel is both sticky and a great surprise! Thanks for making us thirsty for more!

    • Sandra says

      September 14, 2010 at 3:44 pm

      Surprising, sticky, and sweet. 🙂

  4. Melissa says

    September 13, 2010 at 4:19 pm

    I love the climax of ripping open a present. I think I am going to start wrappin’ more than baggin’…or how ’bout wrapping AND baggin’! 😉

    This is the woo of the gospel, I think….Eph 3:20!

    • Sandra says

      September 14, 2010 at 3:47 pm

      I need to spend more time in the wrapping. 🙂

      And at our house, the rule is open slowly and never be fooled by the box size. We’ve been known to wrap little things with books and cans of vegetables to add weight.

  5. Louiseg says

    September 13, 2010 at 6:41 pm

    You definitely make me want to order the book up right now!

    Love the blue wrapping too!

    • Sandra says

      September 14, 2010 at 3:48 pm

      Wrapped by NYL in their signature colors. 🙂 See my response to Laura above. They shipped it to hubby.

  6. nance nAncY nanc heyyou davisbaby says

    September 13, 2010 at 7:09 pm

    ooooh a present!
    i can never wait to open them.

    • Sandra says

      September 14, 2010 at 3:49 pm

      I like to savor the wrapping and take time unwrapping because–well, at our house, the wrapping may be the best part. 😉

  7. Susan J. Reinhardt says

    September 13, 2010 at 10:42 pm

    I LOVE surprises!

    Blessings,
    Susan 🙂

    • Sandra says

      September 14, 2010 at 3:49 pm

      Me, too–most of the time. 😉

Trackbacks

  1. Unexpected Journey says:
    September 13, 2010 at 1:17 pm

    […] Sandra’s Surprise! […]

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