Trust and Law 15

As a result of the decision made in the last post, this Wednesday is my last day at the Flexi School as their Chaplain.I know full well that this is the right time to leave, even though in the physical realm, it looks like it is far too early. Wednesday will make it 1 year and 2 months since I started, in a role that I was convinced I would be in for a minimum of 5 years. I don't get it...

And in some ways this is likely why it took me a good 2 weeks to make this decision. I feel I have more to do, more to give and more to offer, more to accomplish. But instead, I know in my heart of hearts that he time is right, for Flexi and for me, to step away.

The Law of Tenacity says that long term persistence is required and that quick fixes are not in God's usual way of dealing with things. I obviously agree with this. The difference in this case is that I was only to be a small part of a larger objective. One of the reasons I am going is so that the Flexi Chaplaincy can flourish. I can't go into details, but I know part of the reason I have to step out is to allow things to blossom. Could they blossom with me there? Yeah, you better believe it! But God wants to use someone else for that...

But I am reminded that God's way of doing things often doesn't make sense:

"What that means is that we have to have some degree of tenacity about out mission in the world. It means that our need for instant gratification might have to be brought into submission, because quite often there will be no measurable results, or even any kinds of results at all that we can see or measure, from our efforts. Problem is that while the results will be immeasurable, it is also likely our efforts have resulted in immeasurable good in terms of what we have achieved. After all, if Paul plants the seed and Apollos waters, their mission efforts are just as important as the one who harvests." from 17 Irritating Laws of Followship, p. 124

What Paul makes explicitly clear in the verse where he talks about his role and Apollos' role is that "...God gives the increase..."

And so while there is a part of me that wants to tenaciously hold on, there is another that tells me that it is all in God's timing and grand scheme. Whatever I did - plant, water, harvest - my job, for now, at Flexi is done. And I can trust that someone else wil do and bring what is required next so that God can bring the increase.

How irritating, but yet reassuring, that God uses us but at the same time doesn't need us to see HIs will done?!

Next time, we'll talk about the stench of beef that has been brewing for the past wek and what God can do when the BBQ is running...

Thanks to everyone who over the past week sent messages of support and prayer. Thanks too to those who sent leads, and to those who intend to buy the book via Koorong. Love it!

Cheers and Peace,

MG