2014: The Year of Adventure

In years past, I have sometimes had to think a good deal to find a word that could sum up my life over the year, but almost from the start, I knew that 2014 was to be the year of adventure. This has undoubtedly been the most adventure-packed year of my life, as previous posts will evidence, and it’s almost hard to believe that all of it actually happened in only one year. Webster’s Dictionary defines adventure as: “Risk of which one has no direction . . . a bold undertaking, in which hazards are to be encountered, and the issue is staked upon unforeseen events.” My life this year has indeed been quite a series of unforeseen events, and each has led me to greater boldness and willingness to risk giving up my direction – meaning both my control and my aim. Adventures were laid in my path by God, but it was my part to choose the bold undertaking and stake my security on His direction. Had I chosen a risk-free, calculated year of trying to accomplish my goals my way in my familiar comfort zone, I would perhaps be at the end of it once again trying to figure out what exactly changed in my life.

Instead, God took the modest list of goals that I might have managed by my own hard work, and replaced it with a loftier one than I would have dared imagine, only doable by His hand. I hardly recognize my old intentions, but once God takes you on some adventures, it’s not so hard to aim a little higher. No doubt there are more hazards yet to be encountered, but it’s so nice not to be the one directing things, I’ll gladly stake my future on the Author of adventures. Above all, I believe that this adventuresome year has taught me to fear less and trust more, if those common words are enough to describe the satisfaction of setting out on another blissfully unforeseen chapter of God’s adventure for me. As blessed as 2014 has been, I welcome 2015 and all it has to hold with open arms. May it be glorious – amen!

“Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous,

Do not be terrified;

do not be discouraged,

for the Lord your God

will be with you

wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

On Journeys

Having recently returned from my fourth road trip of this year, I've had journeys on my mind quite a bit.  There is a good deal to be learned from long travels to other places, and I've brought away from my own a few observations, better than souvenirs . . .

First, journeys are costly.  We all know that gas and airline tickets are not cheap, and there are plenty of other expenses to keep in mind.  Most of the time, traveling requires a considerable commitment of personal resources.  On top of that, journeys take time, and lots of it – I've spent more hours this year in a cramped truck, van or plane than I’d like to count.  If a thousand miles on the road doesn't teach you patience, I don’t know what will!  And with all that time and money invested, journeys demand endurance.  You can’t simply decide to be done whenever you feel like it.  You can stick it out to your destination or you can turn around and go back, but either way, you can’t just quit in the middle of what you've started.

Most of the time, those long journeys are best with a companion, or companions.  There is safety in numbers, they say, or at least less boredom, and there is no better way to get to know people than to travel with them until sleep deprivation, hunger, and unexpected circumstances reveal their character.  For I've found, too, that journeys hardly ever go as planned.  Be it the weather, road construction, plane delays, getting lost, truck breakdowns, or any number of other variables, it seems that something always comes up to make things interesting.  You can plan all you like, but without a good measure of flexibility, you’re in for a lot of frustration.

Planning is important, of course, because journeys need a goal.  If you don’t have some fairly concrete idea of where you’re going and why, you’re not traveling, only wandering.  There has to be a point to it, because eventually, all journeys must come to an end.  For the most part, they end in the same place they began: going home we call it.  Even if it is only a one way course, travel to no end is once again nothing more than wandering.  For those who return to their starting point, it may seem that everything will return to the way it was before they went away, but even though nothing else may have changed in his absence, journeys change the traveler.  He knows more about the world for having seen a different part of it, and though he may not realize it, he will not see even the old familiar things quite the same way again.

All this is true of journeys in our world, and so it is with the journey of the Christian life.  This is a costly journey, and time-consuming: it will require everything you have and all your lifetime.  There is no turning back once you commit to it.  Thankfully, though, you have many companions on this journey.  Some will go with you for a leg or two, and a few may stick close all the way, but there is one true Companion who promises to be right beside you no matter what.  This journey is guaranteed to have unplanned turns, but whatever may happen, you know where you’re going.  In fact, though you've never been there before, you’re going home, and the experiences along the journey will change you in a way you will not realize until you get there.

No one ever said that journeys were always enjoyable.  They are much more work than staying comfortably at home, but the end is worth it.  It would do us all good to leave the comfort zone of our homes, states, or countries for a time, if only for the lessons learned for the great journey of the soul.

Not One Lost

One hundred years ago, Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton set out on an expedition to be the first to cross the Antarctic continent.  Little did he know that his ship, aptly named the Endurance, would be trapped in the ice and sink, leaving the party of twenty-eight men stranded on the frozen ocean.  The expedition turned into a test of endurance as the goal became survival.  Shackleton led his men safely to an uninhabited island, then, with five men, he made an incredible 800-mile journey in one of the lifeboats from the ship, fortified to withstand the brutal Southern Ocean.  After landing and miraculously crossing the unmapped South Georgia Island, he reached a whaling station and finally found a ship he could take to rescue the rest of his men.  Ernest Shackleton was a leader in every sense of the word -- he faced and overcame tremendous odds for the sake of his followers, and he was committed to make sure every one of them got home alive, whatever the cost.  Though the mission he had planned failed, he was successful in what mattered -- he did not lose one man.

While we will likely never have the responsibility of leading a great expedition-turned-rescue-mission, we will be leaders in some area of our lives.  There are many things that make up a great leader, but the quality demonstrated by Ernest Shackleton of commitment to one's followers may not be one that is often thought of.  It is obvious that a leader needs to earn the commitment of his followers, but while a leader may do his utmost to be worthy of respect and loyalty, he cannot control the hearts of those he leads.  Shackleton's crew was composed of many loyal followers, some nasty troublemakers, and even a stowaway, yet he was faithful and committed to the best interests of every one of them, regardless of their quality.  Those we lead in the Christian life will come in many different attitudes -- some will stick by us no matter what, some will cause headaches, and there may even be some we never wanted as followers.  But the quality of a leader is to see that every one God has placed under our care reaches the goal, whatever it takes, even at personal cost.

The greatest Leader of all time said, "Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost" (John 17:12).  Jesus was faithful to His followers, from John the beloved who stuck with Him all the way to the foot of the cross, to hot-headed Peter who failed Him miserably in the darkest hour.  And He is faithful still to us who follow Him, no matter how many times we wander.  What a comfort that "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).  As our Lord is so committed to those He leads, should we not follow His example?  It is indeed a great responsibility, but let it be said of us as leaders that no matter what kind of followers we have -- encouraging, exhausting, or just plain exasperating -- we stopped at nothing to lead them to the finish without losing one.

My brothers, if one of you should wander

from the truth and someone should bring him back,

remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the

error of his way will save him from death

and cover over a multitude of sins.

James 5:19-20

Prayer Beyond Belief

On my shelf sits a cute card which reads, "Pray really big!  Believe even bigger!" I liked it at first, but then I wondered, should I believe bigger than I pray? It would not seem so from the verse that accompanied it, Matthew 21:22 -- "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Prayer and belief go hand in hand, for prayer is, in essence, an expression of our belief in God's goodness. Without belief, however small, prayer is no more than words. But without prayer, belief is only theoretical. James 4:2 says not, "You do not have because you do not believe," but, "You do not have because you do not ask." Belief that goes beyond what we are willing to pray is not true faith, but wishful thinking. God does not grant our wishes, He answers our prayers. If we truly believe He can do a thing, why should we not dare to ask?

My tendency is to pray too small, and believe even smaller. Such prayers are not worthy of God's power, for God's ability will always be bigger than my belief. The greatest thing I could possibly ask is a small matter to Him, and to ask less is actually saying that I don't believe He will give me what I really desire. Either I doubt the ability of the Almighty, or I am not convinced that my request is in His will. Whatever the case, small prayers are evidence of small belief, and they give little room for faith to grow. Better to stake all on the greatness of God and ask beyond belief: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24)!

Beloved of God

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who

begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. . . . Beloved, now we are children of

God . . . if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. . . . he who

loves God must love his brother also. . . . My little children, let us not

love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

1 John 5:1, 3:2, 4:11, 21, 3:18

There is very little more heartbreaking than families at odds.  Yet the family of God is all too often a chaos of arguments, grudges and breakups -- where is the unity that the Scriptures call for?  Believers fight with each other even while trying to win unbelievers, and wonder why their efforts are in vain.  This is perhaps our enemy's favorite secret for our failure: break up the ranks and he can laugh at our pathetic confusion.  Yet the cry of Jesus' heart is that we all may be one (John 17:21).

"Children of God" seems to be just a figure of speech to many Christians -- our first mistake may be that we don't literally see ourselves as a family, with God as our Father.  Family is forever: you will be stuck with these people for eternity, so you might as well learn to get along now!  There is no such thing as passing friendships among believers.  Circumstances may separate you physically, and limited earth time may disallow investing in friendship as we know it, but nothing should ever separate you in spirit and heart from your brothers and sisters.  A spat with a sibling is a hindrance to our relationship with the Father -- if we truly love Him, we will love His other children.

So easy to say, so hard to do!  Yet so rewarding to realize.  Just think what a privilege you have to belong to God, His child forever.  And around the world, millions of others have this same privilege.  You belong to the greatest family on earth, and every member, great and small, is beloved of God.  Should we not, brothers and sisters, be beloved of one another?

Too Perfect

It's hard for me to imagine absolute perfection.  My life is very good these days, so good it almost feels wrong.  What am I to do when everything seems just too perfect?  Looking back over my old posts, I get the feeling that I wrote better when life was tough.  Now, there just seems so little to write about, which for me as a writer means that something must be lacking.  It's conflict, of course: I'm around a bunch of people that I like, doing things I like, in a place I like, and I'm as happy as I've ever been -- no conflict.  But something in me doesn't want a smooth and happy life all the time.  I'm so used to struggling, it feels normal and even good somehow, and I know it is, because struggles strengthen.  So when things seem too good, I get a little uneasy, because I know that a flat calm with no wind for the sails can kill a sailor as surely as a hurricane if it goes on long enough.  When life is easy, complacency can set in and stop forward motion.

But it doesn't have to.  I am truly thankful in my happy circumstances, and I know I am being changed and shaped as God desires even in the good times.  Though He often does, He is not bound to working through hard times.  Furthermore, I do not have to struggle any more than I have to sin.  I have been given the victory!  (1 Corinthians 15:57)  I suppose it is my pride that wants a problem to focus on, a trial to conquer, just so I can feel myself working.  But it is a mark of maturity to come to the place where I can love God without being forced to run to Him because I'm in trouble.  His aim for me is perfection -- joy and confidence in Him that are not dependent on difficulties for contrast.  Because one day, life really will be completely perfect.  A world without battles is so foreign, it's hard to grasp, but I must learn that the glory is not in the fight, it is in the celebration of victory.  And that victory is already won.  Why should I not be happy?

Jonathan, Man of God

If I had to choose a favorite Bible character, I think it would have to be Jonathan, son of Saul. His claim to fame is his friendship with David, and while that friendship is a great tribute to him, the rest of his accomplishments are often overlooked. The story in 1 Samuel 14:1-23 of his bravery and trust in God surely deserves recognition along with David's classic victory in chapter 17. The setting is this: King Saul's army has dwindled to 600 men, only two of whom are suitably armed. The Philistines have come against them in droves, and are camped at a fortified garrison. While Saul's little force waits in fear, Jonathan sets out on his own with his young armor bearer to scope out the enemy. After a look at the stronghold on the hill, Jonathan turns to his companion with a very bold suggestion: go up to the garrison, just the two of them. He reasons, "it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few."

The fearlessness of Jonathan is astonishing, but almost more so is his leadership -- his armor bearer trusts him so fully as to immediately and unquestioningly agree to his idea. Only when he is assured of his comrade's support does Jonathan lay out the plan: they will come out into the open, and if the Philistines call them to come up to them, that will be the sign that God will give them the victory. Sure enough, when they step out of hiding, the Philistines mockingly call them to come up so they can teach them a lesson. Without another thought, Jonathan and his armor bearer climb up to the fortress and promptly take down twenty men. From there, God takes over -- He causes an earthquake, and the camp of the Philistines is overcome with fear. After discovering Jonathan's absence, Saul and his men show up just in time to see the enemy fleeing, killing each other in their confusion. "So the Lord saved Israel that day," the story concludes.

Jonathan was a man who trusted in God against all odds. In every episode Scripture gives of his life, he shows his total confidence in God's plan, from an impossible victory to David taking his rightful place as Israel's next king. He was known as someone who "worked with God" (1 Samuel 14:45). What an example for us to follow -- when things look grim, can you step out with complete confidence in the Lord's ability to work for you? Can you be committed to seeing God's plan fulfilled, even if it means you lose your status? Is your mind and your life focused on the Lord above all else, like Jonathan, the man of God?

And They Call This "Misery"?

When I announced that I was going to Children's Ministries Institute in Missouri this fall, a common response was, "So, you're going off to 'misery'?" Today marks one month since my arrival at Child Evangelism Fellowship international headquarters -- the longest I've ever been away from home. But so far, I've found it to be anything but misery. Some things I love about being here:

. . . Real thunderstorms. We've had four so far.
. . . Amazing instructors.
. . . People from all over the world. Especially when they speak other languages.
. . . Crazy classmates and thoughtful ones (sometimes in the same person).
. . . In jokes. Slurp it up, people.
. . . Laughing until my head hurts.
. . . Being stuck in traffic and talking about God. Even if we broke curfew.
. . . Blazing sunsets and a bigger horizon to see the stars.
. . . Writing a theology paper. You already know how much I like that.
. . . Little blue butterflies.
. . . Amazing prayer warriors. And the prayer plaza.
. . . Acoustics in the stairwells of a remodeled monastery.
. . . Dressing up.
. . . Internet. And sending newsletter e-mails.
. . . Hearing first-hand about God's works around the world.

I'm not one to get homesick, but of course there are things that just aren't the same so far away. Some things I miss about not being home:

. . . Fresh food.
. . . Sleeping outside.
. . . Playing piano whenever I want.
. . . Coniferous forests.
. . . My family.
. . . Quiet and darkness.
. . . Animals.
. . . Children (ironically scarce).
. . . Going barefoot.
. . . Friends who know me.
. . . My church.
. . . Driving.
. . . Living in a house.
. . . My Good News Club.
. . . Doing chores.

I'm very happy where I am, because it's very obvious that God wants me to be here. I love my good old Pacific Northwest, and I always will, but I begin to believe I could be happy almost anywhere. No doubt God will test that statement, but if home is where the heart is, I hope that I could feel at home anywhere, my heart all for the One who is everywhere.

Puzzle Pieces

The frame of the puzzle was complete, and nearby, a jumbled pile of pieces waited to be fitted into the center. The size and shape had been determined -- now what would the picture be? Looking at this scene on a friend's desk, I saw a perfect analogy for our lives. It's easy enough to agree that God has a specific plan for each of us, but we all know that finding out that plan seems to be a wild goose chase at times. Too often, the problem is that we want God to show us the whole picture all at once. But in the puzzle of our lives, we don't get the box with a picture to refer to -- only God has that. He gives us the pieces, one at a time, and our task is to put them together.

Throughout your life, you will collect pieces: where you were born, how you were raised, your personality, influences, experiences, and opportunities all contribute to the picture. Sometimes they are edge pieces, defining the shape of your life. Those tend to be the easy ones because they're pretty logical. They expand your boundaries and set clear limits. Then comes the daunting part: filling it in.  The rest of the pieces don't have a straight edge to guide you -- they could go anywhere. And God rarely hands you each piece in the order it was made to fit. The pile of loose pieces gets larger and larger, and as impatience and frustration build, the tendency is to start smashing pieces into any possible space just to make some progress. Often, one piece must wait for another that may come much later to connect it to the picture.

Sometimes God will hand you a piece you can't make sense of -- it's dark and ugly, and doesn't appear to have any place in a beautiful picture. So you shove it under the pile and struggle on, when that may be just the piece that was needed to make an important connection. Other people will have their own view of your puzzle, and sometimes, perhaps with the kindest of intentions, might hand you a piece and say, "Here, try this one." But if it didn't come out of God's puzzle box with your name on it, it won't fit. And try as you might, it will only cause fruitless stress. You may be able to make it work for the moment, but the picture is guaranteed to be a sorry mess of the picture God had in mind.

When nothing seems to be fitting together and you feel like you've been staring at an empty frame longer than you can stand, don't give up! Ask for help from the One who knows the picture, because without it, your chances of making a right connection are very slim indeed -- your life is far more intricate than any 1,000-piece puzzle. With His guidance, keep trying patiently until something fits, and wait for Him to give you the next piece that might make all the difference. Nothing could be more sad than to come to the end and have all the pieces, but no beautiful picture because you refused to work with what God gave you.

"His divine power has given us

everything we need

for life and godliness."

2 Peter 1:3

The World, the Flesh, and the Devil

A month ago, amidst the usual beauty I yearly enjoy in the coastal forests of Drift Creek Camp, I and others also came up against some unwelcome encounters – Satan’s forces were on the move. Even there, hidden in the mountains away from the world, they found us, and set about to make life difficult and tie down God’s work. I have seen the enemy in action before, but never met him in such a battle as swept through the camp in those few days, on the fringes though I was. Seldom in the experience of American Christians do we see Satan attack undisguised, which of course is one of his strategies to keep us unprepared. I was reminded that the source of all our troubles is threefold: the world, the flesh, and the devil; and we must be aware of what we are dealing with to know how to best respond.

The world is of course where we live, and it is certainly less than ideal. Since the fall, everything around us is deteriorating and corrupt, and the natural result is hardship. Storms, sickness, death, accidents, pain, ugliness and decay all come from an earth that is falling apart. Certainly, nothing pleases Satan better than seeing God’s creation suffer, but he does not truly have control over the state of nature – it is a condition that God has allowed as the result of man’s violation of His order. God is neither responsible for the world’s decay, nor has He lost control of it – the sorrows of the world give some of the greatest opportunity for God to show His redemptive power and bring glory to Himself. Our response to trouble from the world should be recognition that we live in a fallen state, but God is still in control even in this world as it is, and through His Son has provided a home for us in the perfect world to come.

The flesh is the nature of sin that each of us struggle with daily. Temptations to selfishness and pride are ever present, and these manifest themselves in sins as varied as the people in the world. Hatred, divorce, laziness, slander, injustice and addiction are all examples of man’s flesh upsetting his own life and the lives around him. Satan’s deception in the Garden of Eden destroyed man’s innocence, and he has surely been laughing ever since at the conflict of men against each other and against God. But it was man’s own choice that brought him to this sad state, and man’s choice makes him responsible – God cannot violate his chosen inclination to evil, nor is Satan to blame for his willful acts of sin. The flesh plagues every one of us, and time and time again, we give in and bring disaster on ourselves. But in contrast to our hopeless condition, Jesus had perfect victory over the flesh. And our response to trouble from our flesh should be to turn to Him, confessing our inability, and receive His righteousness in place of our own.

The devil is Satan, our very real enemy with an army of demons at his command. He was the first to rebel against God, and out of hatred for Him, set about to destroy His creation, particularly that special creation made in His image. Satan undoubtedly uses the world and the flesh in more or less undercover ways to trouble us, but at times he will make a personal attack. As the devil and demons are spiritual beings, this attack is on our souls. Supernatural fear, darkness, oppression, and even possession are his direct works to keep us in chains. The child of God belongs to God and can never be possessed by another, but Satan, the prince of the world, may still come against us while we are in his domain. If ever we meet with trouble from the devil, we should respond not flippantly to this skilled destroyer, but with boldness take up our armor and wield the sword of God’s word, for Christ, who has provided this to us, has already won the victory!

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
Ephesians 6:11