Free Fall III...Shouts of Enthusiasm

When I was about 12 years old, I can remember my brother and I climbing the stairs of a look-out tower in Eureka Springs.  This was by no means a marvel of the modern engineering world...more like a big tree house.  But for two brothers who are gravely afraid of heights, you'd have thought we were climbing the sears tower with no harness.  A whopping 20 feet off the ground in this rickety stair case that seemed to sway 15 foot each way with the most gentle breeze, my 16 year old brother and myself are on bended knee...glued to the floor of this tower.  At the rate of about 30 seconds per stair, we carefully descended back to earth until we were safe and sound on solid ground.  With a deep breath and a sigh, we were free to give shouts of enthusiasm.

With two children and all that goes with raising a family, Shelli proceeded to give up the job which God has used to support our family and ministry for nearly five years.  Believing that God had spoken, we had no other option...literally, at that point we had no other options!  If we had mistaken something lesser like feelings or emotions for the greater call of God, it would show itself for what it was...at our expense.

So the free fall began...

Options began to line up for how we might support our finances and family.  With all my know how and  creativity, we began to imagine how I as "head of household" might be able to pull this off.  I came up with a great option that combined all current aspects of life together into a plan that worked financially (on paper) only to realize that as God provided the means for my wife to be at home with the kiddos, I had committed myself to work endless hours away from them.  This is where Phil 4:6-7, Prov 2:8, and Eph 3:20 were repeatedly read and prayed back to God on an hourly basis (by Shelli and myself) so that "I" didn't take down our family with human wisdom and reasoning (1 Corinthians 3:19, Prov 16:9).

I understand now why most videos of cliff jumpers is a silent film until the parachute opens or they are safely on ground...fear shuts mouths.  I am thrilled to say that the fear of gravity did not win but that God is BIGGER than my uncertainty.  One week after Shelli's career change, I received a random call from Sharon Baptist Church in Benton.  After much prayer and a thorough interview process, I  am thrilled to say that I will be the next student pastor for this wonderful church family.  God has not only granted my wife the desires of her heart to be with our children, but has done the same for me by allowing me to give my life to disciple students and young families in Christ.

Allow me to give shouts of enthusiasm for my God!  He is the Solid Rock we desire in times we feel like we are falling.  Before I leave you, allow me to remind us of a couple things God's Word tells us...

God is able to do IMMEASURABLY more than what we could dream!  Ephesians 3:20.
Delight yourself in the LORD and he WILL give you the desires of your heart.  Psalm 37:4

Free Fall...A Fear of Gravity

Heights is not the reason that I don't base jump or sky dive...gravity is.  "Gravity is an attractive force between two objects."  We've all heard that the bigger they are the harder they fall...that's not exactly right, it's not size that affects gravity but weight.  I don't jump off cliffs because I weigh enough that it would kill me to fall!   


So in life and God calling my family to make a radical change that involves jumping without a back up chute, it would be no big deal if not for the WEIGHT of the calling.  This is our family, finances, and existence we are giving up and if we FALL we FAIL.  
     
After gazing over the cliff for a few days, knowing we had to move, Shelli and I believed God had spoken and took the leap.  With no security and no plan, our family once again experiences the sensation of free falling because of a leap of faith.  I've come to the conclusion that if we desire to experience the exhilarating thrill of landing, we must overcome the fearful sensation of the free fall.  As one who knows the thrill of standing on Solid Rock, I refuse to let a fear of gravity keep me out of the game.


We've all seen those action movie scenes where sky divers are frantically working at their chutes or grabbing for the guy next to them...typically messing up everyone else's chance for survival as well.  This is me!  When I jump for God, I jump BIG!  But then I become so anxious on in the 28 second free fall, that I grasp for everything around me.  Maybe I didn't know it would take so long to find solid ground or felt like I was falling to fast?  Whatever the case...here are some verses that kept me from taking down my family and friends while Shelli resigned from her job and my career's future was unknown to say the least.


Philippians 4:4-7, Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!...Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


Ephesians 3:20, Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory...throughout all generations.


Proverbs 2:8, ...for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.


Men...we MUST lead our families into these leaps of faith based only on Scripture.  If you can't support it Biblically, you can't lead Biblically.


Families...the free fall sensation cannot be experienced alone.  Both of you WILL need the strength and wisdom of the other at any given time...it's nearly impossible to regain composure mid air once you're upside down, turned around, and falling fast without help.


To be continued...

Free Fall

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go9uekKOcKM

28 seconds of free fall!  You notice that no one gave a shout of enthusiasm until the chute was completely open and the feel of the fall was over.  There is something about jumping off the edge and giving up all control...but it's not worthy of celebration until you've been safely brought back to ground.  For a while you are silenced by fear...but this is followed by shouts of enthusiasm.

I've purposely not posted a blog in the past couple of months because my family and myself have be in the midst of the free fall...it is only now that God has planted our feet on ground and we will rejoice with shouts of enthusiasm.  Allow me to shout for my God!

It was about two months ago, when Shelli was on maternity leave (after having Brandt) and about to head back to work, that she received a call that would require our family to take the first step off the cliff.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the past five years of our life and ministry, God has used the stability of Shelli's career to allow me to pursue an education as well as serve in ministry roles that haven't always gone very far when paying the bills.  In fact, it was an act of God that provided her job through a miraculous answered prayer (different story, different day).  But now, one week prior to returning to work, Shelli received a call from her employer asking if she would make a decision to work more hours or resign to allow for a person who could work more.  As was the scene in the video, where the camera looks over the edge and you got dizzy just thinking about it...that was us.

My wife knew already in her heart that God had not called her to be the career woman, but that her greater role at this stage in life was to focus on our family.  The problem lied in the fact that my income was minimal and there was no sight of that changing in the near future.  Basically, the cliff was high and our chute was small.

To be continued...