Don't be scared. The world isn't actually going to end. But 2 pieces of evidence point that way. 1) I'm posting twice in 1 week and 2) I finished reading a book. More on that in a moment. First, I survived the hurricane with nothing more than a limb through my trash can. A 1" limb fell on the trash can, puncturing a hole. Hannah's house escaped unscathed. Cleanup took about 2 hours followed by enjoying a beautiful Sunday with not a cloud in the sky. I have begun moving my stuff to Hannah's house which might be the easiest move ever. 5 blocks away and spread out over 4 days? Yes please. I am so pumped for this weekend. I can't believe I'm getting married in 3 days. Whoa.
So I know you're jonesin' for the details on this book. Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. Hannah's dad got it for me for Christmas. Mark is a pastor up in DC. A tough job, I'm sure. I'm not strong enough to do that, but I really liked this book. A great book for Christian men, encouraging them that God didn't design us to be comfortable or to live a life of ease. Rather, to be vulnerable, put yourself out there and to pursue dreams, and all the while have the faith that God will direct you. This is true both in the physical and relational aspects. This is not to say that whatever you pursue, God will grant success in that. But the idea is that the Holy Spirit is a Wild Goose that is worthy of pursuit. Elusive, mysterious, and unpredictable, the Holy Spirit has an element of danger and God wants us to have an adventure. Batterson encourages us to leave the cage of assumptions, routine, fear, guilt and failure and follow the Goose. I understand that the term wild goose chase may seem cheesy, and perhaps it is. But Batterson cites the old Celtic Christians for coming up with the term, and it certainly has some merit. I don't know what God has for me today, tomorrow, or a year from now. But what I do know is this: pursuing God is not about playing defense and trying to avoid losing what you have (relationships, money, career, etc.) but going on the offensive and worrying more about missed oppurtunities than making mistakes. In America, it is so easy and tempting to be a sideline Christian where the mantra goes something like, "I go to church, I do this and that. That makes me a Christian." But the early church didn't operate like that. It was dangerous to be a Christian. In many areas of the world that is still true. What God wants is your heart, not your usefullness. God doesn't need you and that mental model undermines God's sovereignty. Ok I've written too much about a book. Go read it.
