Zig Ziglar: Don’t get cooked in squat.

Zig Ziglar recently passed from this earth to heaven. Author of many books, including See You at the Top, Zig was a motivator for decades. Dave Ramsey mentioned Zig’s passing on his radio show, which I listen to by podcast. Dave pointed out that he would actually be seeing Zig “at the top” one day. Indeed! Those of us who know Christ as our Savior will one day join Zig at the top, in heaven, where is now in the presence of His Savior.

Yesterday I talked about Hope. I have come to realize, more and more, that Hope without a plan, without action, leaves you right where you are. Oh, yes, Hope is good, but too many people sit in that spot, waiting for good things to come to them, to happen to them.

Years ago—in the seventies—I listened to Zig Ziglar’s series on cassette tapes. Among his many inspirational thoughts, the one that comes most quickly to mind for me is, “Don’t get cooked in squat.” Zig explains: When I was a small boy in Yazoo City, Mississippi, we lived next door to some rich folks. I know they were rich because they not only had a cook, but the cook had something to cook. In the 1930’s that was a sure sign of wealth. I was there for lunch one day, as I tried to be most every day. On this occasion, the cook brought out a pan of biscuits. Since they were no thicker than a silver dollar, I asked, “Maude, what happened to those biscuits?” She reared back, laughed, and said, “Well, those biscuits squatted to rise, but they just got cooked in the squat.”

I want to take that to heart as I approach 2013.