Directionless or Directed?

God doesn’t seem to be leading me anywhere right now. It has been almost two years since I left my church staff position. At that time the only direction I had was to write a book based on my curriculum designed to grow women’s influence. I spoke at women’s conferences and retreats—opportunities which God clearly provided by his sovereign hand. I am now completing the final edits on the book to self-publish it. But what is next? No doors have opened; no voice has spoken; and no sign has appeared in the skies. I don’t like being in limbo and am getting impatient with this waiting. Have you ever felt that God left you without a compass?

How do we navigate such times? What path do we take without clear direction? How do we maintain faith when God seems to have forgotten that we are available? How is God guiding when he seems so silent?

The Way of the Cross

In observing reactions to the death of Osama Bin Laden this week, I am reminded that we Christians travel a different route from the world; we follow the way of the cross. That journey is generally misunderstood and unappreciated, even in the church. God asks us for a different response to events in our own lives and those in the news than the majority of people. We are called to follow Jesus to the cross and die to self, dispensing love for hatred, forgiveness for injury, and generosity for selfishness.

How are you and I doing at that? It’s not so easy when it involves someone like Bin Laden, who is so obviously undeserving. But we each have someone in our own lives who doesn’t deserve such treatment. Who is that person?

Learning from “Little Ron”

Last night at the World Series the Rangers had a special guest, Liam Roybal, the seven-year-old kid who impersonated Ron Washington for Halloween. He mirrored the appearance of the Texas Rangers’ skipper, even shaving the top of his head! He looked like a Mini Me Wash. The team invited him to be their special guest at the game and to take the microphone for the ceremonial “play ball” call.

So what do I learn from him? 

Little Ron’s great likeness to Big Ron was deliberate. It reminded me of Acts 11:26: “It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.” Apparently, the city recognized this group as followers Jesus. In contrast, today’s Christians are often known as unloving church-goers rather than Jesus look-alikes. How do we become intentional about looking like Jesus?