I think I have ended up where I need to be

Have you ever gotten lost while trying to get somewhere?  Has getting lost ever brought you somewhere even better?  Maybe a hole-in-the-wall bakery, a quaint park, or a road that goes beside a pretty creek.  A lot of the getting lost “experience” depends on attitude.  If you can laugh about it and embrace what you’ve stumbled upon, you just might find something better than where you were headed. 

 

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I need to be.”  (Douglass Adams)

I never intended to go to Corban University.  I had always dreamed of going to the University of Washington.  I remember telling my parents at the age of 13, “If I don’t get into UW, I’m just going to wait and apply again the next year.”  I did apply, I did get in, but I didn’t go.  I did not go where I intended to go, but Corban was exactly where I needed to be.

I never intended to be an RA.  I liked my private, loner life and thought being an RA was far beyond my comfort zone and capabilities.  But somehow in the whorl-wind of spring semester of my sophomore year, I applied and got a spot.  I did not go where I intended to go, but being an RA turned out to be one of the biggest blessings yet. 

I never intended to go on a big, out of the country mission trip.  I love being the “sender,” the one who stays behind and prays for those who go.  But an invitation to help lead a mission trip to Costa Rica landed in my lap and God gave me the courage to say yes.  This unintended destination even surprised my friends and family.  I did not stay like I intended to stay, but going is what I have been called to do. 

Have you ended up somewhere besides where you planned on going?  Are you currently feeling as if you’ve veered from your chosen path and are “lost?”  Just wait; hang on for a little while longer and maybe you’ll find that you too have ended up where you need to be. 

"I didn't spill it, it's not my responsibility"

Going to the movies used to be a magical event.  The theater was always bustling with "mature" teens I hoped to some day be like, excited kids, adults, awkward couples, and even grandparents.  The screen was bigger than any wall in my house.  And the theater itself was generally located somewhere “exciting” (aka: the mall).  For some reason, the magic seems to have faded.  I went to the theater yesterday and it’s just not how I remembered.  First of all, I did not realize it now costs $10 to see a movie ($13 for 3D).  Secondly, the seating in this particular theater was less roomy than most planes I have been on.  And thirdly, about three rows were graced by the presence of a large soda spill. 

We chose the row with the spill anyway, walked across the sticky floor, and sat in seats that avoided the sugary mess.  We watched as group after group passed up our row because “someone spilled soda!” Everyone saw the problem, everyone saw it as a problem, but no one actually did anything about it.  Movie-goers simply hobbled over the pod of seats adorned with soda or picked a different row altogether. 

I’m guessing the general mindset was “I didn’t spill it, it’s not my responsibility.”  Isn’t that a universal truth?  When we come across any problem that wasn’t directly our fault, we avoid it at all costs.  There are so many problems that surround us: people without food, clothes, and homes.  Families devastated by the loss of a loved one.  Kids without parents.  Entire people groups who don’t know God.  You didn’t create those problems.  But does that mean you’re off the hook?  I think James 2:15-17 begs to differ:

“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith, by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” 

Taking action means giving effort.  If I cared enough to clean up the soda spill I would’ve had to go find the bathroom, grab some paper towels, and come back to clean it up.  But I was “comfortable” in my seat and didn’t want to stumble through the sticky, less than roomy row to deal with the problem. 

I hate the fact that some kids go to bed hungry every night.  But each night I go to bed a little overfed and less than eager to “solve world hunger.”  The effort it would take to find ways to help those kids seems like too much to add into my schedule of to-dos.

The reasoning here is lousy.  Just like finding a few paper towels (or even just finding a theater worker to clean the mess) would have been a simple task, finding ways to take action for problems like hunger, homelessness, and heartbreak is not really that difficult. 

So let’s stop thinking about the problems we hate to see in the world and start doing something about them. 

Has life got you in a lampshade?

My dog, Zoe, is currently wearing a lampshade on her head.  You know- those plastic cone things dogs have to wear so they can’t lick, bite, scratch, and whatever else. 

Zoe got “fixed” last week.  Unbenounced to her, she was taken to the vet, cut open, “fixed,” sewed up, and sent home not knowing what had just happened.  Within a day or two, one of the stitches came undone, got infected, and Zoe was taken back to the vet.  This time she came back with orders to wear the lampshade.  Throughout this process, Zoe has been forced to sit still (no jumping, running, playing, fetching, etc.), she has been yelled at to stop licking her infected wound, she has had underwear put on her to avoid said licking (which did not go over well), and now the lampshade.

We all joke about how Zoe is probably thinking “What did I do wrong?”  “Why is this happening to me?”  But the truth is, Zoe hasn’t done anything wrong.  As her owners, we were looking out for her own good by getting her “fixed” to prevent future problems.  AKA: we don’t want to have puppies.

Unfortunately, her animal nature took over so she licked, bit, and messed with her stitches… which is what led to the underwear, lampshade, and trip #2 to the vet. 

But Zoe doesn’t understand.  And she probably never will.  The current pain, agitation, and annoyance remains even though this is all for the best. 

Has life got you in a lampshade?  Are you wondering what you did wrong?  Take a step back.  Maybe the current pain, agitation, annoyance, or other problems are the result of God’s greater plan.  In all things, God is working for our good.  Sometimes the road to that better plan is painful, and sometimes we make it more painful by itching, scratching, licking, and biting our way through.  Our own reactions to the things we face in life have a tremendous impact on how we arrive at God’s plans for us. 

So these are my words of advice: stop fighting it.  The more we lick, scratch, and bite, the more likely we are to end up with a lampshade on our heads wondering what happened.  Let God be God and trust in his plans.  

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).

Getting “fixed” probably wasn’t in Zoe’s plans.  But it was in ours and it prevailed along with a few unforeseen consequences.  What’s in your life that wasn’t in your original plans?  Stop thinking you’ve done something “wrong,” sometimes the path to the place God has for you just has a couple lampshades along the way.

16 clothespins, 1/2 roll of paper towels, and nylon rope

As I prepare for this trip to Costa Rica, I have been given a very specific packing list.  And I mean, specific. 

Some items make me think, why?  1/2 a roll of paper towels- separate into sheets and fit them in Ziploc bags, 16 small clothespins, nylon rope, 20 quart-sized Ziplocs. 

Some items make me think, how?  3 ounces of shampoo (how is that going to last more than 4 days?), 1 roll of toilet paper (I really hope this isn’t expected to last me 7 weeks), all things packed in a cardboard box no bigger than 62 linear inches (is this turning into math class?). 

Maybe it’s just my limited camping skills that make me look at this list and have a slight moment of panic.  Or maybe it’s just my human nature that desires comfort, familiarity, and awareness of what’s coming.  I have plenty of questions.  Questions regarding this packing list.  Questions regarding what this summer is going to look like.  Questions regarding my ability and preparedness. 

But I know this method is tried and true.  This missions agency I am going with knows what they are doing.  People have gone before me.  Things are going to be OK.

I bet Noah had some questions for God.  “Why am I building an ark?  Why are you asking me?  How am I supposed to build this ark?  How am I supposed to round up all these animals?”

I bet Mary had some questions for God.  “Why am I pregnant?!  How is this possible?  How do you expect me to explain this?”

I bet Job had some questions.  “Why are things going so badly?  What did I do wrong?  Are you going to save me from all of this?”

And Paul too.  “Why am I in jail?  How long am I here for?  Why is this my lot in life?”

But God’s methods are tried and true.  Sometimes we face things and wonder “why, God?”  Sometimes God puts seasons in our life that are filled with pain, loss, uncertainties, or other discomforts.  Sometimes we just don’t understand the packing list God gives.  But keep in mind that He knows best, He knows what works, He’s been there before, and He is working for good in our lives. 

So as I go into this trip and as I face things on God’s own packing list for me, I will trust.  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not upon your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).  The bottom line is that my own understanding falls far short.  As much as I’d like to know all the whys? and hows?, maybe it’s not for me to know right now.  

At some point at training camp or in Costa Rica, I bet I’ll have that moment of “Oh! That’s why I needed to bring this!”  The same is true for life- sometime down the road, you might have that moment of “Oh!  That’s what God was doing!”  So have a little trust and pack what God tells you to.  

I guess I didn't come off as "campy"

In August I went camping for the first time.  Now I should probably mention here that this wasn’t intense camping… we were on campgrounds, had plenty of food, covered areas, bathrooms, and showers (if you consider a cold, lousy trickle to be a “shower”).  I was with a large team of fellow Resident Assistants who went camping for our RA retreat (if you consider sleeping in tents with less than sanitary bathrooms a “retreat”).  Throughout this process of learning how to camp, I was laughed at frequently.  I guess I didn’t come off as very “campy.”  Maybe it was the fact that I had no idea how to pitch a tent.  Or maybe it was the fact that I found it necessary to bring 4 pairs of pants for this 2.5 day trip.  Possibly it was because I just really didn’t have any idea what I was doing.  But aside from sleeping on gravel that was uncomfortable at best, I enjoyed myself.

Fast forward to March when I received a phone call from a missionary who visited my college in the fall.  She said I had been on her mind, had prayed about it, talked to her husband, and wanted to ask me to be a senior staff leader on their mission trip to Costa Rica over the summer. 

What?!  Me?  Of all people?  When God put this opportunity in the cards for me, did He remember what my camping skills look like? 

I love using the excuse, “I’m a sender, not a goer.”  In other words, “no, I am not going on a mission trip, but I’ll pray for yours.”  But upon receiving this phone call, I began to realize that maybe I could be a goer.  For the next 2 weeks I prayed, talked with friends, mentors, and family.  Amidst all of my fears and insecurities about this opportunity, two passages kept coming to mind:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Even though camping, being “one with nature,” or whatever you call it is a weakness of mine, I can rest assured that God’s power will be made perfect in that weakness.

The other passage comes from Exodus 4.  Moses is asked by God to go and speak.  Moses says no.  He is not eloquent, he is slow in speech, he feels under-qualified to go in God’s name.  But God insists, “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (4:12). 

In no way do I feel qualified to be leading this team to Costa Rica.  Why me, Lord?  Isn’t there someone else who could do this better than me? 

With these two passages running through my mind as I sorted through reasons why I should or shouldn’t go to Costa Rica, the answer became obvious.  The Lord is calling me to go.  He wants to send me.  His power will be made perfect in my weakness.  I have come to terms with the fact that I will probably do some really stupid, embarrassing things while figuring out the world of camping.  My team might just look at me and laugh.  I might get half way through and wonder, “what am I doing here?”  But I know God has chosen me for a reason. 

So with a joyful and surrendered heart I say, “Here I am, send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).  

Frustrated by that extra slice of cheese

What happens to us as we walk into the doors of Subway?  How is it that we suddenly feel the right to snap at the workers about our choice of bread, meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables?  Is it really necessary to be angry when the worker doesn’t catch everything on our long list of vegetable preferences the first time around?  Was it really that difficult to repeat “I’ll take some onions?"  Must we insist the worker puts on more bell peppers on top of our already overflowing sandwich?  Is there a nicer way to ask for less cheese than by saying, “only two slices; my waist can’t handle that third piece.” 

The other day I walked into Subway and had an experience quite like the one described above.  The lady in front of me acted like she owned the place.  Clearly, she was ordering a sandwich she had ordered many times before.  She was easily frustrated by that extra slice of cheese.  She wasn’t all too satisfied with the slightly excessive sweet onion sauce on her bread.  She insisted on extra spinach saying, “as much as you can get on there.”  I never heard her say “please” or “thank you” once. 

When the man got to my order, I felt awkward.  How do I follow this up?  Should I say “please” for every item I ask for and then “thank you” as he places each slice of meat, cheese, and vegetable on my sandwich?  (I decided that was a bit extreme)  Is there some way I can remedy this rudeness of the customer in front of me?  I feel bad for what happened.  I am a customer, just like this controlling lady in front of me was.  In some way, I felt responsible for her actions.

There are a lot of non-Christians who encounter Christians who leave a bad taste in their mouths.  These Christians are like the customers who go through Subway with some idea that they are “above” the workers (non-Christians), have the right to point out every flaw, and make “strong suggestions” as to how they can better their performance.  As I encounter non-Christians I tend to panic.  Thoughts stream through my mind: What experiences have they had with other Christians?  Have they been treated poorly by a church or Christian?  What should I do to let them know I am not going to judge them?  Should I be overly nice?  Should I do something to let them know I’m a “good guy?” 

The bottom line is this: be yourself. 

The more anxious I became about how I was going to order my sandwich after little-miss-know-it-all, the more awkward and burdened my conversation with this poor worker became.  In the same way, as I get myself worked up about encounters with non-Christians, my interactions become fake and impersonal.  If I can just be myself and show them love, they will be thankful.

Romans 12:9 says, “Let love be genuine.”  So let’s be genuine in who we are.  Accept people for who they are, leave judgment to God, and forget about the rude customer who passed before you.  Chances are, if you are real with them and leave them with love and joy, they will remember you more than those who have not.