Checking In & Chucking Out My Reservations

When we travel, we can make reservations for a variety of things: transportation, accommodations, leisure activities, meals etc. Those reservations, set for a future date, tell us and others where we'll be and what we'll be doing when we get there.

In life, we do that too. We lay out an itinerary for the years ahead. We tell ourselves, by the time I'm X years old, I want to be married. I want to be out of debt and pay off my student loans by _______. By the time I hit 40, I'm going to have my career where I want it. By my next birthday, I will be sober. By retirement age, I will be better at managing stress. By our next anniversary, our marriage will be stronger. The list goes on.

These goals are often a lot more difficult to accomplish than arriving for a flight on time. They are complex, requiring discipline and perseverance, and the buy-in of others.

If Covid has taught us anything, it's that plans change. Reservations can be postponed or even canceled without our world falling apart. We can skip the vacation, postpone the trip or extend the deadline of just about anything. The test is this: When life interrupts our itinerary, how will we respond?

I wrote last week about following the leading of the Spirit when life's journey doesn't afford us a map. Sometimes we have a map, with plans and goals all laid out, when suddenly we are blindsided; all our plans whisked away by a pandemic, a divorce, the loss of a job or the death of someone dear to us. We find ourselves sitting on the floor, bewildered, wondering where we are headed, if not where we thought.

2 Corinthians 13:5

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

When we hit those roadblocks, it's the perfect time to reconsider our itinerary and check-in. We need to test ourselves and ask ourselves a few questions.

1. Do these plans still reflect the assignment/calling God has for my life?

2. Have I become more focused on achieving my goals than listening to the Spirit's direction?

3. Am I walking in faith, or walking according to my own prescribed steps?

God may want to switch-out our map for a new one, mid-journey. He may want to scratch-off a few items and add some others. If Christ is in you, you can change those reservations. Realizing He is your travel partner and concierge means you're not traveling alone. He will keep you on-track and on a journey that you could never have planned.

No Map

This week's blog is inspired by 2 Biblical accounts: the Israelites wandering in the desert and Paul's missionary journey, found in Acts. In both these stories, we see God' people being led by His Spirit into an unknown adventure. In both, they had to fully rely on Him for protection, provision and direction. I can't help but think there's something to this very simple formula.

I'm going off-formula today and instead of a typical blog post, I want to leave a encouragement from God' point-of-view. I hope it blesses you.

Keep marching. Even when it's a trudge. Even when it seems like you're walking in circles. Aren't I leading? Aren't I in charge? The news is a distraction. What matters is obedience to my Spirit. Go, follow, linger, set up camp. You only need to know one step at a time. When you try to make a plan, you step out of full reliance and obedience. Take the step. Don't plan ahead. Let my presence overshadow you. Let me be your shade in the desert, your illumination in the dark. You worry and wonder about your assignment or others'. You may never know where I will take you next, but you know my voice and my presence. Keep an eye out and an ear inclined to me & you'll find yourself in the center of my will.

Baggage Claim

This morning I leave to drop Eddie off for his flight back to Seattle. It's been 22 months since we first arrived and it's his first trip back. As he packs up and plans his itinerary, I'm thinking of all the times I've returned home after moving away.

As a child, our family moved "far away" several times. By the time I left for college, I had lived in 4 states and Canada; in approximately 10 homes. Every time we would go back to visit, there would be an excitement and a worry; so excited to see our friends, but also unsure about the strength of those bonds as time had passed.

Back in the 90s, as a kid, I did little to maintain relationships over months and years or distance. We would just show up and hope our friends were happy to see us. Nowadays, with the internet, social media and video calls, we have more tools with which to reach-out and connect. And yet, life still moves on, and sometimes so do friendships.

For someone who is a seasoned "move-away-er" I think I have a fairly healthy expectation of the work I need to put-in in order to maintain the friendships I value. At the same time, I know that despite whatever effort I put in, the other person may not reciprocate, may not give me another thought. This can be hard.

So, pray for Eddie with me, these next two weeks. Pray that his heart would be protected from rejection, while staying soft and strong and true to himself.