The Peacemaker Chapter 11

I was so encouraged by this chapter of the Peacemaker. It is so relevant to me personally at this time. I am very thankful for the timing in reading it this week. This chapter outlines a biblical model for negotiating cooperatively with others. The item that I found most helpful was the distinction the author makes between "interests" and "positions". It was very helpful for me to stop and distinguish between my own interests and positions, and also to realize that I often times fail to discover what another person's interests are in a negotiation. If I understood the difference properly, a position is what I communicate as my demands or expectations, and my interests are the motives and desires I have that brought me to that position. It's very encouraging to stop and think that in a case where two positions may be irreconcilable - the interests involved may not be.