I have been able to sort through the huricane I've been in through many of your prayers and replies to my emails. God bless you all for that support, and most of all- glory to God for Jesus that always makes intercession for us!
I have been waiting on God to make clear his direction after much of the summer in unemployment. I had battled with the idea of going full time in ministry as that has always been on the "back burner" in my life and thought maybe now was the time. I also kept open the possibility of changing careers or seeking work in what I most recently was doing. Well, it turns out that none of that matters.
It took me to get to this point to honestly tell God that I surrender my plans and my career.
Yesterday a recruiter wanted me to interview with Anheuser Busch for a job that paid almost 60,000 a year. I had to turn it down knowing it was not consistent with my values, even though it was not on the brewery side of the company. Afterwards God spoke to me in 1Peter chapers 3 & 4 about suffering with less for righteousness. It is really good to read.
Then I was faced with many other opportunities to interview this week, some in telecom, some unrelated, some in Wisconsin where I am now, and others near St. Louis, and a couple more in other regions. Faced with this new problem of detecting God's direction I began to weigh the options. There were many pros & cons with all of them and i was getting nowhere making a final determination. I went to bed that night trying to come up with a solution, and I woke up with all the questions still there and no standout answer.
Later that day I was listening to a message from a preacher and God helped me understand something, although it had nothing to do with the sermon. Sometimes He interupts our endeavor for spiritual growth with wisdom. Isn't that strange?! He then reminded me that I had surrendered my career to Him and I was not to try and pick it back up and manage it again. He told me my focus needs to be on the spiritual need of the region. This is seeking first the kingdom and "all these things will be added." So my goal now is not to even decide on what course of action is best whether it be a position in the church or a job outside church.
God calls us to purposes, not positions. He wants me to focus on fulfilling the spiritual needs of the region and whatever job I am working is just a means to promote God's kingdom. It doesn't matter what job it is to me anymore. It's only going to last about 20 more years anyway compared to eternity! So whatever job opens up to me is fine wherever it is. And I am excited to be working for God if I end up staying here or going elsewhere. That area is going to be claimed by the Lord and I will be in His service.
I also recceived encouragement from Max Lucado's book A Gentle Thunder:hearing God through the storm. Take your time and read this exerpt:
Doesn't peace always follow obedience? Perhaps the disciples had the same expectation. They only did what they were told. Jesus told them to get in the boat so they did. What was the result of their obedience? "That evening Jesus' followers went down to Lake Galilee. It was dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The followers got in the boat and started across the Lake to Capernaum. By now a strange wind was blowing and the waves on the lake were getting bigger". I can relate to the strange wind(italics mine).
What a chilling phrase "Jesus had not yet come to them". Caught in the storm of "not yet." They did exactly what Jesus said and look what it got them! A night on a storm tossed sea with their Master somewhere on the shore. It's one thing to suffer for doing wrong. Something else entirely to suffer for doing right.Again refer to 1Peter 3 & 4 & 5. But it happens. And when the storm bursts it washes away the naive assumption that if I do right I will never suffer. Just ask the faithful couple whose crib is empty and whose womb is barren. Just ask the businessman whose honest work was rewarded with runaway inflation.
And so the winds blow. And so the boat bounces. And so the disciples wonder, "Why the storm, and where is Jesus"? The disciples had been on the sea for about 9 hours. John 6:19 tells us they rowed 4 miles. That's a long night. How many times did they search in darkness for their Master? How many times did they call out His name?
Why does He take so long? Mark 6:48 tells us that during the storm Jesus saw his followers struggling.HE SAW THEM! He waited until it was time to come and then He came.
What made it the right time? I don't know. So what does God do while we are enduring pain and in the storm? He prays for us. Jesus wasn't in the boat because he had gone to the hills to pray(Mark 6:46). It's even more remarkable that Jesus didn't stop praying when His disciples were struggling.
So where does that leave us? While Jesus is praying and we are in the storm, what do we do? Simple. We do what the disciples did. We row. Much of our life is spent rowing. Getting out of bed. Fixing lunches. Turning in assignments. Paying bills. Routine. Regular. More struggle than strut.More wrestling than resting.
When Denalyn and I went to Brazil, we thought the life of a missionary was one of daily charm and facination. A Christian Indiana Jones. We learned otherwise. You have too? You thought marriage was going to be a lifelong date? You thought the company who hired you wanted to hear all the ideas you learned in college?Then the honeymoon ended. And the boss wanted you to spend a week in Muleshoe Texas. We have our share of feasts but also our share of baloney sandwiches. And to have the first we must endure the second. So don't bail out! Don't lay down the oars! He is too wise to forget you. He is praying the prayer that He himself will answer.
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