Book Notes--First-Step Principle

God generally asks people to take a first step, to get their feet wet so to speak. Just look at Peter. Even though Jesus told him to come, he still had to step out on the water before he could experience water-walking. By this point, Peter knows a bit about the character of Christ and upon hearing Him say "come," he could have just decided that was enough. Peter could have said, "Jesus told me I could walk on the water, and I know He's a trustworthy guy, so I'm just gonna take His word for it. I'm content just knowing I can, I don't need to step out of the boat and experience it." That's not what Peter says though. He takes a first step out of the boat onto the water and his faith is forever changed.

Acquiring information is not enough, it is taking action that expands our faith. Ortberg says something in the book about one step of action being worth a hundred internal pep talks (or something to that effect). That's so true. I find it easy to fall into that realm of ever-increasing information and ever-diminishing action.

The first step is always the hardest, but in taking the first step we come face to face with Christ on the water. If you think about it, Peter was closer to Jesus, literally and figuratively, when he stepped out of the boat and into the storm. That thought is really bothering me. I want to be close to Jesus in the comfy confines of the boat. The storm is...well, scary and dangerous, but I guess that gives us an opportunity to see the power of God.

Book Notes Part 4--Honoring Your Raw Material

The following is my thoughts and processing of the "Honoring Your Raw Material" concept.

Being honest about our gifts and limitations can be difficult I think. We are taught that we can do whatever we set our minds to, but that's not entirely true. We each have strengths and weaknesses, and when we try to operate outside of our giftedness and ablilities we are usually not as effective.

Some of us really struggle on this front. We can spend a lifetime pursuing goals and jobs for which we have little aptitude just because someone else, namely the culture at large, thinks it's a good idea. Sometimes the results are not quite as dramatic, but cause problems nonetheless. We waste time bemoaning our limitations, those things we can't do, at least not as well as others. I wonder what God thinks when we do that. I wonder how it would change us if we allowed our limitations to be a source of freedom instead of pain. I wonder if that's what we are supposed to do.

When we realize stick figures is as good as our drawing is going to get, we can safely eliminate a number of careers and hobbies. If you hate balancing your checkbook, then you probably won't find your place to shine in the accounting department. Realizing what we are not is almost as important as realizing what we are.

When you know what you're not you have the freedom to be what you are without regrets. But it's not always easy to accept our limitations. Some things are relatively trivial. For instance, I've always sort of wished I had a nice singing voice, but I don't. It doesn't keep me up at night though. There are other limits that really bother me though. I'm a very introverted person. Our culture has a definate bias toward extroverts. I've often looked at more extroverted types and been amazed at how easy it is for them to make their way in the world--talking so easily with others and pursuing their goals with a level of energy that makes me tired just watching.

At times I wish I could be like that, but I'm not...and it doesn't mean there is anything wrong with me. My introverted nature provides other strengths, like being a good listener and having a desire to understand people and their problems. The point is, realizing what I'm not (an extrovert in this case) frees me to be what I am without worrying about not living up to someone else's potential. As Ortberg points out in the book, God won't ask us what we did with what we didn't have.

Book Notes Part 3--Discerning A Call

Water-walking requires wisdom to discern a call. There is a difference between faith and foolishness. So, how do you discern an authentic call from your own impulse? Here are a few helpful thoughts Ortberg shares in the book:

1. Take your calling seriously. You are on a mission from God. Believers share a common calling to know and love God and have Christ formed in us. We are also given gifts and talents to serve God and others.
2. Honor your raw material. Be honest about your gifts and limitations. "A calling is something you discover, not something you choose." Acknowledging limits gives you freedom, but it may be painful. (My next post will address this area.)
3. Form a "clearness committee", whose purpose is to ask you questions, listen, and pray for a sense of God's calling.
4. Conduct "low-cost probes". Test the waters.

Receiving a calling is not the same thing as having a dream career. This doesn't mean that God doesn't use our "raw material," but it will usually be beyond my resources and capabilities to complete the task. It may mean paying a high price. Ouch. Suddenly having a calling doesn't seem so idealistic and romantic.

Friday's Feast

Here's something fun for Friday.

Appetizer: When do you feel impatient?
When my internet connection is down. Pathetic, I know.

Salad: How many times in your life have you had a broken heart?
I think I was born with a broken heart.

Soup: Name a book you would like to see made into a movie.
The Little Prince

Main Course: If you could thank one teacher for what they taught you, who would it be and what would you thank them for?
Oh, I think I'm gonna have to cheat a little on this one because I can't narrow it down to one. I would thank my second grade teacher Ms. Hood, for praying every day before we left the classroom to go to lunch. I would thank all my elementary school teachers for teaching me to read and write, because now those are two of my favorite things to do. Ok, this really could go on for a while, but since this is supposed to be a short post I'm just gonna stop myself. Maybe in another post some time I will list all my teachers and what I learned from them, but not today. :)

Dessert: What is your favorite kind of pie?
Pumpkin

Wanna play? Check out Friday's Feast by clicking here!

Book Notes Part 2--Comparison, Fear, and Comfort

Ortberg lists three reasons why people "stay in the boat": comparison, fear, and comfort. He uses the parable of the talents to illustrate. When we compare our talents & abilities to those of someone else, it leads only to pride or envy and can prevent us from stepping out where God has called us. It does no good to wish you had someone else's gifts. I must choose to appreciate my gifts and remember that I will give an account of what I do with what I'm given.

Some areas Ortberg mentions for consideration are intelligence, relationships, energy level, and temperment. These struck a chord with me because they are often areas where I'm tempted to wish I had something more or something different. The thinking can go something like this: "I'm not as smart as him/her. There's no way I could write something that good." The result: I bury my ideas and write nothing. Here's another one: "I could accomplish so much more if I didn't have this stupid inner ear problem." The result: I waste precious time and energy wallowing in self-pity and denial, when I could be doing something, however small, productive. Yep, comparison keeps me in the boat.

Fear can also keep us in the boat. Ortberg notes that Peter asks Jesus for a command to step out rather than a promise that everything would work out. I don't know about you, but I always go looking for the promise, specifically the promise that says everything is gonna work out fine. I'll be honest, I don't always want the command, whatever it may be. It's easy enough to say, "Yeah, I'm ready to walk on the water", but it's another thing to be standing there staring at waves taller than you are, hearing Jesus say "go", but seeing no assurance of safety or victory. That's a hard step to take.

The third reason Ortberg discusses is comfort. Sometimes we are just so comfortable in our boat that we refuse to step out of it. We may hear the call of God, but we refuse to move because we're happy with the way things are now.

I think I'm guilty of allowing all three to keep me in the boat. It's important to note that the third servant in the parable of the talents is described as wicked and lazy. Those are not words I would want Jesus using to describe me. So the question all of this is getting at is: "What has the Lord given you that you need to invest in the kingdom?"

The Book Notes--Water-Walking

This is the first in a series of posts from my notes from reading John Ortberg's book, If You Want To Walk On Water, You've Got To Get Out Of The Boat. Mostly these posts are for my benefit as they are a combination of Ortberg's thoughts and my own as I try to process the ideas. However, I would love to hear any other insights that you would like to share, so please feel free to jump in with comments.

Where is God asking you to step out of the boat? What's your boat? What is keeping you from stepping out on the water right now? That's the pervading questions in John Ortberg's book, If You Want To Walk On the Water... and something I'm now thinking about. I kept wondering as I read if the message of this book was for me, right now. Ortberg uses the various aspects of the story of Peter walking on the water to make some points about our lives as followers of Jesus. You can read the passage by clicking here: Matthew 14: 22-32

Ortberg made one observation about the beginning of this passage that really jumped out at me. Jesus told the disciples to get in the boat knowing they would face the storm. "Obedience is no guarantee of being spared adversity." That statement really jumped out at me--maybe because of what's gone on with me over the past year. I've found myself looking around and asking God, "What happened?" Things were going so well. The year preceding the inner ear virus was one of my best. I'd taken a step I felt God wanted me to take, and things really seemed to be on the right track. It was like the storm clouds rolled back and I saw the sun for the first time in a long time. I can remember driving down the road and marveling at how grand things were. And so, my initial, and very human, response was to wonder why, if I was doing the right thing, was I now having to face this.

"Obedience is no guarantee of being spared adversity."

The disciples got in the boat because Jesus told them to do so, yet they faced the storm. Joseph, one of my favorite people in the Bible, was thrown in prison despite the fact that he did the right thing by saying no to Pharoah's wife. Job, though described as blameless and upright, suffered greatly. Jesus obedience led Him straight to the cross. It bears repeating: "Obedience is no guarantee of being spared adversity." But Paul, who endured his share of hardships, assures us with these words in Romans 8: 28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

So I keep praying, believing, and putting one foot in front of the other.

Friday's Feast

Let's have some Friday fun with Friday's Feast!

Appetizer: What was the last game you purchased?
I can't even remember the last game I purchased. The last game that was purchased for me, however, was Mad Gab. I got it for Christmas a year or two ago. Haven't played it one single time. Don't know why.

Soup: Name something in which you don't believe.
I don't believe in buying brand new cars. What a waste of money! I mean, it loses a two digit percent of value the moment you drive it off the lot. That's crazy. Cars are not investments like some people would have you to believe, unless you're gonna keep it for like 30 or 40 years and restore it. But seriously, how often do most people do that.

Salad: If you could choose a television personality to be your boss, who would you pick?
Ummm...Charles Engles from "Little House on the Prairie". Lol.

Main Course: What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?
God is serious about not wanting you to have any other "gods". When God says to let go of something...let go. It is painful and unpleasant when He has to pry it out of your hands.

Dessert: Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.
It would be painted blue, dimly lit, have a comfortable sofa, books to read all around, desk for writing, smell like coffee or lavendar, and be stocked with an endless supply of cold Vanilla Coke and warm muffins.

Kyle Lake

I was not able to get the death of Kyle Lake off my mind yesterday. If you haven't heard the story, go here: www.ubcwaco.org. He died during a tragic accident as he was performing a baptism. I just couldn't get that image out of my mind, and knowing that the church was sitting there watching, unable to do anything. He was married and had three young children too. I just don't understand. I mean, I do understand (somewhat) the theological answers, but when you hear something like that it's so hard to wrap your mind around it.
Suffering and pain, both physical and emotional, are things that you don't really get used to. As I'm writing this, I'm thinking about my own pastor, who has been in the hospital now for a month at least. He's fighting vasculitis. It seems that every time things start to improve, he encounters another setback.

I'm bothered more and more by these things. I used to be able to go on about my business (perhaps a bit selfishly even), but I see and hear and experience these things now and it causes a restlessness of mind. I think about heaven...and I feel an unexplainable comfort and an insatiable hunger simultaneously. I used to think, as many other people do, that I would be able to obtain answers to those tough questions once I got there, and maybe we can, but I'm not so sure the questions will even matter once we are there. Jesus will be answer enough.