You see, in the last four years, I've made three trips to China (including living there for a summer), three extended trips to Hawaii (2 for semester long stints, and 1 for a summer), I finished my college degree, and I moved to Texas to start my seminary training exactly one year ago today.
But now, having stayed in a single place for an entire year straight, I feel like I'm at a crossroads in my life. If it's alright with you, I'd like to be a little transparent with you tonight. I'm not going to lie to you, I don't really like it that much. There aren't too many days that go by when I don't want to trade in my shoes for my favorite pair of slippers (flip-flops for all of my fellow haoles out there), and head back to my island home of Maui.
But you know, we must all be shaped and formed within the rigors of life if we are to be capable to contend with what it dishes out to us. The Marines have a system that they call the crucible that every Marine recruit must complete before they are allowed to graduate basic training. And the more specialized job assignment that they have, the more training they must go through.
And as I was contemplating this analogy in my own life, I see that the Lord has had me all over the world doing various things. Whether it be teaching English in China to kids anywhere from 3-14 y/o; to helping start a college ministry in Maui; to being a marine naturalist working with the public on the Pacific Ocean, my life has been truly blessed beyond anything that I could put into words.
And I've also seen that just as a Marine who has graduated basic training may have to go "back to school", if you will, to become more efficient at his/her particular job, so have I. Often times, a Marine will be with his unit serving, and then be called back to get more specialized training so that when he rejoins his unit, he can be a better Marine and help serve his unit to get their job done. And that's exactly how I feel sometimes.
I feel as though I've been pulled from my unit, specifically in Hawaii, and am now back at boot camp once again in Texas. And let me tell you, I long to get back on the front lines.
But here's the deal, sometimes we get reassigned...
I'm now the college pastor at a local church in Grand Prairie, and who knows where I'll be going from there. Hear my heart though, I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. I have been blessed with a wonderful Church home here in Texas (more about that later).
Look at what Jeremiah says:
Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! (18:3-6)
and Romans says:
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? (9:20-21)
Now before you bust my chops for taking scriptures out of context, let me just say that I know what I've done. I understand that God is speaking to the nation of Israel in Jeremiah about the exaltation, humbling, and destruction of nations at his will, and that Paul is speaking of God's right to perform his plan of salvation however He chooses to, but go with me on this for a second.
Both of these passages have everything to do with the sovereignty of God. Now, if God is sovereign, then we find that those of us in His service do as He says, when He says, and how He says to do it. We are the clay in the hands of the potter. As He shapes us and molds us, we don't look back at him and ask, "Yo God, why am I in Texas and not in Hawaii. That's not cool God!" Instead we ask, "Alright God, why have you moved me from Hawaii, aka the nearest thing to heaven on Earth, to Texas? What are you trying to teach me, and how am I to be used during this time?" You see, it is a condition of the heart.
What I'm talking about is not a blind subservient faith. No! It's ok to ask questions! What I'm talking about is submitting to the will of God in our lives so that we can have the maximum impact on those around us for the cause of the Kingdom of God. Just because I don't like something, doesn't mean that I can't submit. If you think for one second that Jesus was thrilled about the prospects of going to the cross, you're ignorant and have clearly never read the gospel accounts. (sorry, truth hurts sometimes) Just because I don't feel like doing something, doesn't mean that I can't do it. You see, feelings and emotions are controlled by the flesh. However, we are not to be controlled by the flesh, but instead, we live by the Spirit of God. When we love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30), we see that our will controls our emotions and/or feelings, and thus we can follow through with whatever God has set for us to do despite what our feelings say.
There is so much more that I want to say about what I've been learning lately, but this blog is already much too long (as usual). Therefore, I'm going to write a few more on the things that I've learned as I've traveled in the service of the Lord in the very near future.
But before I let you go, do this one thing for me. As you go about your day, ask the Lord, "Lord, what are you trying to teach me by having me where I'm at in my life?" You'll be surprised what happens when you ask God the right questions with the right heart attitude.
Goodbye for now,
Jeff
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