The Journey Begins

What if you find yourself in a place that seems totally out of place? I believe God puts me where I am and that the Community of Faith will be used to confirm God’s direction in my life. Yet, I find myself, after 50 plus years of living, moving in a direction so radically different from where my life has been headed all these years – a direction hard for fellow believers to appreciate or accept, especially if they know the whole story. I’d think I was completely off my rocker except that my wife is with me in this and we both have peace of mind about all this. Maybe we’re both loony.

Joseph comes to mind. His brothers, rash in their jealousy, sold him to slave traders. He wound up in a strange land – Egypt – working as a slave without any rights or recourse. Trying his hardest to be honest and do the right thing, he got into trouble with the authorities and landed in prison. There he was kind to a couple of well-connected fellow prisoners, one of whom died and the other who, after being released, forgot all about him. He couldn’t get much lower.

After all that, he rose suddenly to be ruler of all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. He got there through no planning or conniving of his own. Later he was to say to his brothers, “What you intended for harm, God has meant for good.” Still, it took a long time for Joseph to see the bright side of anything.

My wife and I are on a weird journey. We didn’t get on this trip by our own choosing. We’re not sure at all where we’re headed. But we’ve decided we’re going to hang on and see where this ride takes us – not that we have many options! And we’ve made the decision to do it as authentically as we know how. Now that we’ve lost just about everything, we’re choosing authenticity over security.

Early this morning I met as I do weekly with three guys – a businessman, a lawyer, and an engineer – all middle-aged. We read Psalm 16:5 and declared to each other that each of us is where we are because God has placed us there. These guys have no idea what I am going through. I only met them a few weeks ago. And yet they are telling me that I am right where God wants me.

Right. If only they knew.