Yesterday was not one of my finest days. With the incoming storm I wanted to get things done. Racing around at the store, just trying to get things done. Bought a bunch of furniture, went through a bad time, and finally decided that as it had started to snow, so I told Cass "we are out of here." And a friend of mine stops in. This is a friend of mine who is trying to find the financing for a movie that he and another have written. (They have already had meetings with people like Jonathan Frakes from Star Trek, but what it comes down to, that unlike most industries where people in the know put their money up, the movie industry does not. So while people like Frakes and Albert Finney have said "yes" the pocketbooks they have say no. Whole 'nother story. Hopefully we wil find him 5 million dollars.) So, Mark comes in and he wants me to show him the business plan for Pre-Paid Legal. Of course, it is snowing, but, hey, he is my friend. So, I do. And then we all get ready to leave. And as Mark goes to leave the front door of the store comes off! So, after some messing around I get it in place, enough to get through the night and hit the road. Well, by now, everything is icy, and I have no "snow tire" left on the car. We barely make the first hill, and the crossing guard jumps in front of us. Slowing to a crawl, I maintain enough momentum to make the hill. But clearly after a few minutes I am sure I am not going to make our 1 mile mountain. So, I begin the long way. Every few seconds the "low track" warning is going off. Cass is quiet. We get to this long hill that goes down. I am very cool doing what ever it takes to go up, but going down snow covered hills is not as much fun. Throwing the vehicle into neutral, I begin a braking strategy that gets me to the stop sign of a 4 way intersection. I make the turn right and begin climbing the moderate mountain. Slipping, sliding and negotiating curves where you can not hit the brakes nor drop into a lower gear, I have my road in sight, only to MISS it. Now I am in an uphill battle looking for a flat turn around with a vehicle tailing me. Does he think I know where I am gong? A half mile later I find the terrain I need, pulling over, waving the truck by and backing around to make another pass. All of this is down hill. I get to the road which is dirt and hope it is not the mudseason of yesterday. Up and down, spinning, sliding, we are nearly to the final stretch. A van races out of it's driveway with out stopping and we are on the brakes. Missing only by inches. She keeps going to pick up her children about 50 years down the road. We are at the top of a long hill down and a long hill up. I am going to have to build some serious momentum and I do and we glide to the top. Down my road and a little too much speed and the sleet/snow/ice nearly lands me in our trees. But, hey, we make it.
And as I sat here last night, I thought about the path of a Christian. Getting home for me was the objective. I am a very persistent person. Keeping my car safe is another. What do I have to do that is necessary to getting the job done. I knew that one approach would be nonexistent (The only thing worse than having to go down a hill forward, is to have to back down it!). Instead I looked for alternatives, remaining flexible to the situation. I think in a lot of respects, the walk of a Christian has to be flexible to avoid "breaking." I have watched dogmatic control destroy people's lives. I do not believe the goal is "getting to heaven," but believe it is to be like Him. While Jesus knew a lot of what was going on, ther was a flexibility in His approach to things. Crowd too much. Stay. Crowd too much. Leave. My physical journey yesterday had the day to day obstacles of hills, curves and stop signs. Nothing changed in that. But what changed was the circumstances. And in my life, what "bugs" me today, with encouragement and friendship does not bug me tomorrow. In part it was fun to have Cass in the car because you get sound effects. On the other hand having her in the car required a greater measure of caution. And that is what people mature into understanding, hopefully, that it is not about me, but about those I take with me. Immature believers can not "take" any one with them without possibly endangering their lives. Maturity wants to take others with them and get them there safely. There will always be obstacles. I listened to an imature believer the other day who decided life was too hard and they were giving up.
In Deuteronomy there is anunusual confession of faith in Deuteronomy 26, verse 5.. And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish [was] my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous: The person who made an offering was to make a confession of faith as they gave their tithe. And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression: And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders: And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, [even] a land that floweth with milk and honey.
That is the walk of one who is flexible. How we began here from our wanderings as the Syrian to where we are coming to now. We must head home, regardless of the cost. And the mature amongst us, have responsibility. Allen mentioned yesterday that he did not have title or a ministry, but the fact is, he has a love that "requires" a change.
There is a "nomadic" people that God is bringing together to partner with His agenda. And the journey is worth it.
Lee
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