Risking it all (part 1)

I have faced a lion from 5 feet, growled at a bear that was spitting distance away and looked a shark in the eye. Some would call it courage, others stupidity, but I call it bravery in the face of danger. In the moment, you never know what you are going to do till you get there. You can plan for it, prepare for it, even visualize yourself in the moment, but until you face the situation head on, there is no telling how you will react. I felt proud to stand strong in each of those cases.

That being said, it’s a lot easier to face the king of beasts, the wild black bear and the menacing blue shark from behind protective glass. It‘s kind of surreal knowing that, given other circumstances, I would probably be a light meal for these creatures. “Bravery” flows freely in safety. Risk is always measured by the danger faced.

I recently quit my job to pursue a vision. The vision was something God gave me; something like the promise to Abraham of descendents “greater than the stars in the heavens” or Kevin Costner’s “if you build it, they will come.” The problem is, like Abraham, I don’t know what the promise means yet. He had no children and no potential for having any. And even when God gave him a son, the promise would not be fulfilled for generations.

That’s the problem with much of our theology today. We want God’s promises now. We don’t have an understanding of the workings of the eternal clock. We know what Texas time is and the significance of a New York minute, but God doesn’t work that way. His clock is not set by the precision of a quartz movement or the dependability of Greenwich time either.

I thought I would have answers right after I quit. His words to me were, “take the step first, and then I will show you.” Now, I don’t know about you, but when someone asks me to do something, and then say they will do their part, I expect an immediate response. Silly me for expecting God to respond in like manner. I mean, come on, aren’t we created in the image of God. Shouldn’t He operate like we do? (long pause) No, I think it’s the other way around. We are supposed to be more like Him.