And we're leavin' on a jet plane...

It’s Christmas day and I’ve been busy doing all the typical things—spending time with family, opening presents, eating big meals, sleeping in a post-meal carb-induced coma, etc.—but even as I've been doing these things my mind has been halfway around the world. You see, on Monday morning (12/27) Michelle and I will leave for Southeast Asia. We'll meet our group in Evansville at 10:00 AM and about 40 hours later we'll arrive at our destination. Hoorah for jetlag! Seriously, though, I can't wait!

For several months now my excitement and anticipation have been building. I went to the same country for the first time last year and had an amazing experience. I love travel and culture and food... and all of that serving and teaching and stuff we did, too. Before I even boarded the plane to come home I was already looking forward to being back sometime soon. For weeks (ok, maybe months) after I came home I told anybody and everybody (but mostly my poor wife) story after story after story... and I might have given her a steady diet of facts and statistics and whatever I’d read in the news recently. This year, though, Michelle is going as well, and though there are a lot of things I'm excited about, one of the things I'm most looking forward to is being with her as she experiences for the first time all of the incredible things I got to experience last year. It's only a day and a half away. I can't wait!

If you're in a praying mood, here are some things you can pray about:

• Safe and smooth travel
• That all of our luggage/supplies will make it
• Good health
• That our work would be fruitful
• That we would be an encouragement to those we are going to serve
• That we would be changed by our experience

 

When being responsible isn't the responsible thing to do...

I’m a responsible person. Really, I am. I’m also practical. Painstakingly practical. To a degree that annoys a lot of people... but mostly my wife. And I like to think I can be pretty objective and rational, even in the midst of an emotional situation. Whatever I am, I’m definitely NOT somebody who just quits a job without having another job in the works. Or a plan. Or a good idea of what a possible plan might look like. Or… well, much of anything. That wouldn’t be rational, or practical, or responsible. So I would NEVER do something like that.

BUT… I sorta… did. (See my December 21 post.) Now, to be fair, it wasn’t a half-baked decision based on emotion. I counted the cost and weighed the options and made an informed, thought-out decision to do what I believed was right. There was even a practical reason behind it—I simply believe it doesn’t make sense for a church the size of mine to have two full-time pastors and that the resources being used for me could be better utilized in other ways. But then there’s that whole other God putting this weird idea in my head to quit my job and wait on him to show my wife and me the next step thing thrown into the mix, too. But still, my decision was thought-out, deliberated, discussed, stirred with a good measure of prayer, baked fully, and topped with a sweet, sugary dollop of faith. It just so happens that this particular decision defies virtually all conventional wisdom. It seems IRrational, IMpractical, and IRresponsible.

But here’s the thing. Sometimes God calls his followers to be irrational, impractical, and dare I say irresponsible, at least by the world’s standards. In the midst of a Jewish culture that was often more than a little hostile toward people of the Way, Jesus sent out his young believers with these instructions: “Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick” (Matthew 10:9-10a NLT). THAT isn’t rational, or practical, or responsible. Not by anyone’s definition. Then, after he’d given their marching orders he dropped this little nugget of encouragement: “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves…But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers” (Matthew 10:16-18a NLT). Wow, sounds like fun! Ready to sign up? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Me neither. But the truth is, those very risks—beatings, imprisonment, etc.—are the reality faced by believers all over the world, even today. The question for those of us living in the good ‘ole U.S. of A, though, is, “What does it look like to obey Jesus’ call to this kind of faith-filled living here and now?” For me at least, it looks like taking this crazy step of faith and seeing where it leads. Even if it seems irrational, impractical, and irresponsible. And it probably does.

You can call me crazy...

I used to blog. Then I stopped. Now I’m blogging again. About a year ago I changed the title of my dormant, neglected blog to “Shades of Gray: Living in the In-Between.” It seemed like a good title for a blog. Interestingly enough, though I haven’t posted a thing since making the name change, I now find myself living in the in-between. You see, a couple of weeks ago I quit my job. Really. I tendered my resignation to the elders at my church (I am an associate pastor), effective January 31, 2011. And I have no plan. Whatsoever. No plan… as in I don’t have a job lined up, nor do I have any idea what I’m going to do with my time or to bring home money for such frivolous things as food and electricity. That’s what I mean by no plan. And you know what’s even crazier? I’m not worried about it. Seriously. Call me stupid or irresponsible or naïve. Go ahead. Maybe I am. Though nobody has actually used those words to my face, it’s overwhelmingly evident from the questions people ask me that they are wanting to say, “WHOA! Hello! Common sense, aisle 5, buddy! Here’s a two-for-one coupon. Let me point you in that direction.”

I get the sentiment. I really do. I mean, who quits a good paying job doing something you love with people you love without having a plan… especially in this economy?! Well, I do I guess. But there’s a little more to the story. (Note: This is the part where a large percentage of you will really question what type of Kool-aid I’ve been drinking.) Around mid-July I felt God say two things to me. (OK, religious fruitcake alert! Hide the women and children!) I never heard an audible voice, but it was very real nonetheless. I felt God say, “Stop playing it safe. Take the risk.” It was as real as if it was written on a stone tablet and dropped out of the sky onto my head. At the time, I felt pretty certain I knew what it meant. It meant I had to step away from the safety and security of my comfortable, well-paying associate pastor job at a church I helped launch and step into the unknown realm of the land between. (Thank’s Jeff Manion for the "Land Between" reference. If you want to read a great book on the subject, check it out here.) I also knew that then, July, wasn’t the time. So I talked with Michelle (my wonderful, supportive, Jesus-loving wife) and we began praying for direction and guidance and faith and all of the stuff you pray for in a situation like that. As the months drew on, it became clearer and clearer just what I needed to do and when I needed to do it. So, a couple of weeks ago, I did it. I (Choose your favorite cliché here:) (A.) took the plunge (B.) stepped out in faith (C.) proved to all those who were wondering that I really am a few fries short of a Happy Meal. (Ok, so that last one isn’t technically a cliché, but you get the idea.) And again (as of right now at least), I’m perfectly ok with that. In fact, I’m actually sort of excited about it. That’s not to say my life is free of anxiety/worry/fear/stress/doubt but simply that I believe to the core of my being that I’m doing exactly what God wants me to be doing. And as a follower of Christ that’s a good place to be, even when it’s scary or uncomfortable, and even when most everyone else thinks you've taken a gainer off the deep end.

Have a story of a time when you did something you believed was right, even when everyone else thought you were nuts?