It can feel like change requires Herculean effort. The oomph needed to clean a closet, or to apply for a job can seem insurmountable. The cocktail of fear, and self doubt leaves us frozen. Throw in a dose of anger and we stomp away. 

Yet there are stories in scripture that suggest that very small shifts can bring dramatic results. The disciples went fishing in the Sea of Galilee, and after a night of effort had nothing to show for it. The darkness compounded their sense of failure. Then as the sun was coming up they saw Jesus on the shore. 

He called to them, suggesting that they toss their nets on the right side of the boat. This was probably an odd request, after all the waters underneath the hull do not differentiate. Yet out of loyalty, or hunger, the disciples did change their position. The results were immediate. The catch was great enough that they could not pull the fish into the boat.

I remember a conversation with a woman whom I found to be prickly. She was handling the money for a church yard sale, and had opinions about how the volunteers helped. I was exasperated. Then another woman took a more compassionate approach. 

"You take this job very seriously, don't you? You want to do it well?"

The grouch started to cry. 

The pivot from defensive to vulnerable surprised me. When the other woman spoke to her kindly, it opened up another side of the conversation. A much more fruitful one. 

Making a swivel from proving who is right, to caring who is hurt may seem subtle. The murky waters of our feelings run deep. Yet if we plumb them with a heart to listen rather than convince, we may be surprised.