Lessons from Turtles

Charles and I were taking a walk the other day and saw a really large turtle in a field... probably the biggest we've ever seen in the "wilds".  The turtle was off the path quite a ways, and what struck me, even from a distance, was his outstretched head and neck. In fact, it was  the long neck sticking out from the shell  that probably caused us to even notice the turtle at all. 

Being quite a distance from us,  the turtle felt quite safe.  It was a good time to stick his neck out.  Had something come nearer, I'm quite sure the turtle would have felt threatened and immediately retreated into his shell.

It made me think about how easy it is to stick our neck out there when everything seems safe.  And how quickly we can retreat at the nearest perceived threat. I recently read a blog post by Seth Godin that said this:

You will be judged (or you will be ignored). Those are pretty much the only two choices. Being judged is uncomfortable.....The alternative, of course, is much safer. To be ignored. Up to you.

I don't know about you, but I do not like being misunderstood or rejected.  I recognize in myself a tendency to play it safe, so that I'm not rejected, judged, or misunderstood.   Maybe its human nature. We don't step out because we're afraid. Yet, the alternative may mean that we don't get to live out our sense of call, courageously being true to who we are and what we are to bring to the world. And we miss the blessing of the joy and fruit that comes with pursuing our calls and our destinies.

Every time I write something and post it publicly, I am acutely aware of the two ends of the spectrum- judged or ignored.  What if people don't like what I write?  What will they think? What if I'm misunderstood? Will people think less of me? Even though I love writing and believe I am called to write, it would be much easier, safer and more convenient  to just keep writing in my journal, as I have done for years. There, no one else sees what I write. There's no risk of rejection or being misunderstood or judged. Journal writing was safe.  Writing here is not safe.

Steven Pressfield calls this battle within "resistance".  Everyone who has ever stepped out towards a better future has experienced it.  Some learn to act in spite of the resistance and do extraordinary things, and some let the resistance determine whether they ever act or not.  And you can be sure that if resistance has its way, there will be no action.

You and I were created for more.  Let's stick our necks out there together for all of the right reasons!  Yes, we may be misunderstood, judged, and even rejected.  But in the end it seems to be a better alternative to being safe and never have stepped out courageously to pursue our callings, passions, and dreams. Acting, in spite of the resistance, can lead to new and exciting places of fruitfulness, joy and growth.

What, for you, takes a determined will to do even at the risk of being misunderstood, judged or rejected?  I would love to hear!

Playing it Unsafe

If everyone gets what you do and understands what you are about, you might be playing it too safe.  Sometimes that fact that people don't really get you, or understand what you are about, may be a sign that you are doing exactly the right thing.  I believe that sometimes God calls us into uncharted territory. He leads us to unexpected places. Places we've never been before. Places in life that, at times, we ourselves can hardly understand, let alone explain to others. (Think, Abraham). And I'm not just talking about physical places.

When I was the lead pastor of our church for a few years, I'm pretty sure people didn't always get that.    "What are you doing these days?", I would be asked.

"I'm the Lead Pastor of a church." I would say.

Blank stare in response.  Then, "Nice weather we're having, huh?"

It's amusing to me now. It wasn't so much then.

Here's some examples of people I know that are willing to risk being misunderstood:

• A 17 year old High School girl is giving up excelling in sports and doing all of the usual teenage stuff to start an organization to bless girls in foster care.
• A family with young children moves to another country to provide homes for orphans of AIDS.
• A man who has been a pastor for many years gives up a secure ministry position out of a sense of God's leading.
• An empty nest couple sells their home and possessions and follows a sense of call to build relationships with young artists in the LA area.

I'm quite certain each of these people know what it's like for others to not fully get them or understand what they are about.  But that's alright.

I'm only sharing this to encourage you that sometimes being misunderstood goes with the territory of radical obedience to God.  Are you willing to risk it?

Live Extravagantly

Merry Christmas!

My hope for all of us on this Christmas Morning is this:  in the way that all of humanity has been given extravagant gifts from God, may we each live out an extravagant life this year!  Not just spending money wildly, because that's not at all the spirit of God's gifts to the world, but finding ways to...

Love Extravagantly

Dream Extravagantly

Be filled with Extravagant Passion

Willing to take Extravagant Risks as led by the Spirit

Be Extravagantly Generous

As God has gone over and above in every way for us, may we live the same way towards others.  And in doing so, give the best gift of all that we can give to those we love and the world around us.

Love you all!

Navigating Change

I think that by nature, humans tend towards that which is familiar whether we fully realize it or not.  That's not all bad, except when it comes to making necessary or significant life changes.  The familiar can be the very thing that holds us back if we allow it to.

I think a lot about this because I'm always interested in change dynamics, but also because we ourselves have been in a season of change and transition.

One of my favorite passages in scripture comes from Genesis 13:17.  The story is that of the Isrealites leaving Egypt, their long term place of captivity and oppression, in destination for a better life and place that God had for them so that his purposes could be more fully lived out in and through them.

"It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn't lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, "If the people encounter war, they'll change their minds and go back to Egypt."

So here they are:  the Isrealites have just been freed from Egypt, the very thing they've longed for and desired  and yet God sees that even though this is the very thing they've cried out for for years, their natural tendency, especially faced with difficulty,  would be to turn right back to where they began even though that's not what they really would want.  God intervenes and leads them on a path, while not the shortest and most direct, but a path that would enable them to walk into the promises that God had set before them. God enabled and empowered them to come into their destiny.

This encourages me.  As much as I might like to think I'm not bound to the familiar, I do believe there is an aspect of human nature that gravitates towards familiarity especially when trying to navigate through change. Change can be difficult.  Yet, when God calls us out and moves us out, we have to be able to become free from that which we've  known to move more fully into our destiny.  Fortunately, we serve a God who is bigger than our human tendencies and if we listen and follow, he will lead us along the right path- maybe not the shortest- that will eventually bring us into all that He has for us.