The WAYGDAI Question

The schoolyard taunt. "What are YOU gonna do about it?" (WAYGDAI, pronounced wag-die). Typically strewn from a bully of sorts, or just someone of a larger scale than the comment's recipient. Perhaps there was a spilled lunch tray, chastisement in front of peers, or just a shove from an opponent on the playing field. Most likely, said recipient will either lash out and get some comeuppance, walk away and be jeered some more, or wait 'til next time, learn from it, and perhaps become a better soccer player.

Daily we are internally and externally questioned as to What we are going to do about ________?.

I heard a commercial for the National Census which made the statement something like this. Fill out your Census which will let us know your needs in order for us to help you in your area. By no means a direct quote, but it is the gist of the statement. This brought to mind the WAYGDAI of the statement. And here its twofold. WAYGDAI for me. and WAYGDAI for Uncle Sam. My family has done our civic duty and filled out the Census. No I need to entrust Uncle Sam to do his duty appropriately with that information.

This can be touchy. When it comes to Uncle Sam, we can get ourselves quite riled up. Over many situations. And on occasion I do—though am trying to train myself to cool the riling and kick up the discussion, listening, and respecting. Within these Uncle Sam-like arenas, surely there should be discussion, information gather, and voting. But when the WAYGDAI raises voices into too much argument, and wags fingers we begin to lose a great opportunity for influence, understanding and change.

I believe we have WAYGDAIs in both micro and macro ways.

A micro WAYGDAI can happen moment-by-moment to us. We may not identify them as WAYGDAIs, but they are, and need to be handled appropriately. Some micro WAYGDAIs are:

1. When a spouse said what seemed a dig
   
2. What a colleague asks you to do what might have been their job to do
3. When a blouse may be one button from the neck too low
4. When a child sasses back
5. When another project or chore is added on
6. When you want to spread the gossip
   

A macro WAYGDAI are larger scale situations where someone is being required to respond to a larger scale predicament or take action in a movement or opportunity. Some macro WAYGDAIs are:

1. What do we do about the cancer
2. Should I say something to their parents
3. Will this require heavy discipline and will I allow it and deliver it
4. What if I believe I am too young to have a baby
5. Where am I going to get another job
6. Should we make the move
7. What if they run away
8. Should we divorce
   

Consider these three macro WAYGDAIs.

• There was a woman who heard of a friend's kids battle with childhood cancer, and she WAYGDAIed herself and now has, through the Rally Foundation, gone on to raise well over 1 million dollars for childhood cancer research

• There was a man who's child had been present when there was a crime committed and was to serve some jail time. He WAYGDAIed himself and let the justice system run its course, recognizing that there were lessons to learn, and that this will have an impact on his child. He prayed and prayed through his child's was incarceration, and embraced his child with open arms upon their return.

• There was a person named Jesus who was asked by His Father to leave all of his kingly and heavenly glory, enter into our world, become one of our bodies, spend some time on our fallen planet, make both friends and enemies, be harassed, tempted, lied to, and be crucified on a cross for our sins. Jesus WAYGDAIed with this for all of his thirty-some odd years. The WAYGDAI came to full fruition on Good Friday when He was asked by His Father to complete the task he'd been sent to accomplish. He anguished with His Father about this—through bloody sweat, but concluded He'd do what His Father asked. To be beaten, bloodied, spat upon, nailed, pierced, and take on all the past, present and future sins of the world, and die.
  

What are we gonna do about it? In the micro moments and macro opportunities.