Six string blind spot

OK, confession time. Yesterday my wife had the iPod going in the kitchen and we were both jammin' along with John Mellancamp's "Jack and Diane" when she made an incredible discovery... I was singing the wrong words to part of the song and apparently have been since the song was released in 1982. There is a part in the song that says, "Hold on to that sixteen as long as you can; change will come around real soon make us women and men." Because that part starts out with, "Let it rock... let it roll..." I have always been singing that part as "Hold on to that six string as long as you can.." (the six string being slang for the guitar). PS - I'm not sharing how I sang the second part of that as that would cause yet more embarrassment and I'm not mature enough to handle that.

That got me thinking about all of the blind spots we all have in our life. Those parts of our life song where we sing loud and proud (like me with John Mellancamp) but we are singing the wrong words. We have no idea the words are wrong so we sing as loud as we can and, boy, is it humbling when we learn the right words. I wonder what other blinds spots I have in life. I think of my leadership role at church or my role at Thrivent and wonder what blind spots I have. I feel like my only recourse it to continually self-examine and surround myself with people that I know will tell me if they see them (such as my wife with my lyrical shortfalls).

I recall reading a book by Bill McCartney called, "Blind Spots" in which he wrestles with why different races feel and vote so differently on political issues. He talks about how both whites and blacks have blind spots that don't allow them to see the other perspective; these blind spots have been created through years of culture and experience.

Blind spots are so tough simply because we are blind to them. If we have areas in our life that we see, we have the choice to do something about it or not. If we have blind spots, our only hope is that we have people along side of us who are willing to speak the truth in love and help us adjust our mirrors to see the complete picture - then we have a choice on do something about it or not. It's tough to hear, but I'm so thankful for the blind spot spotters in my life - Although humbled by the "six string", I'm excited to now sing "Jack and Diane" with a new sense of boldness!