Monday, April 8, 2013

Lessons from a late night jog


As I took off for a jog last night, I was pondering a couple of things. A) How far would I need to run to make up for all the fast food I consumed over the weekend? And B) what shall I blog out about tomorrow? Hoping to burn off some burritos and find a little divine inspiration, I hit the road. Besides the fact that I'm out of shape, the following is what I was reminded of…

God’s timing is not always my timing. To be clear, God’s timing is perfect and I am not! Midway through my jog, during the darkest section of the route and while running at a pretty good clip, I was greatly startled by a deer that passed right in front of me. Coming down from a steep cliff on my right, the white-tail crossed just about 35 feet in front of me before leaping over a seven foot fence on the other side of the street. Once I processed what I had witnessed and regained my breath, I started to laugh to myself because just moments earlier I had prayed that I might see something awesome. While I would have preferred a heads ups, that did clearly fit the bill as awe-inspiring and so I began to consider possible blog titles for today: Deerly Beloved, As the Deer, Pass the Buck, Fo Real Doe.



Isn’t that how it often works? We seek something spectacular! We desire for the Lord to grow us and show us more of Himself but only when we’re ready for it. So whether through obstacles or opportunities presented, God shows His all-sufficient grace and faithfulness to us, yet not always on our timetable. And I’m talking about something bigger than a Bambi blog here. Many of the events and experiences that have shaped my faith were not in the forecast or even on my radar at the time nor would I have ever asked for them. However, God in His sovereignty saw fit to reveal Himself to me in just those ways, but more on that later.

I was again reminded that uncertainty is not a legitimate thing to fear. I found that there was plenty I could be on edge about. Perhaps a rabid armadillo, a fully-loaded skunk, a dog on the loose, bad drivers…the list was endless. Or I could simply enjoy the journey. I could soak up the sights and sounds of a cool spring evening. I could think on truth and the goodness that was present, and fear not because of this fact…

The unexpected is often the most inspiring. While quite unnerving, the unanticipated parts of my run were some of the most praiseworthy. Hearing the deer’s hooves hit the pavement before seeing it glide past and into the air seemingly effortlessly, was just really cool. I later observed an owl swooping overhead and a beautiful arrangement of clouds reflecting some of the city’s lights. None of the moments were planned by me but each uniquely stirred in me a gratitude for our Creator that He would let me have those experiences.

So here is what I’m challenged to consider…Will I let go of my demands and trust in the Lord’s sovereign timing? Will I release my fears? Instead of being frightened of my inadequacies as a parent, spouse, and leader, will I rest in who He is and who He will make me? And will I have the spiritual eyes to see what He’s doing in and through my life and family?

Many of you are fearful of what’s ahead. No one modeled faith to you when you were growing-up. The uncertainty and lack of details is overwhelming. For some there are unplanned trials you are being forced to embrace, things that were not on the last calendaring meeting that you must deal with today. May I encourage you that His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9) and His timing is perfect (Romans 5:6, Acts 4:27-28, 2 Peter 3:8-9) and if you hold to these truths, perhaps you’ll be able to look back one day and be inspired by the work He achieved through this season of life.




Proverbs 16:9 “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”


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