Reflections

DateLine (3/21/07 – Nanuet, NY)

The last few years have been a unique period in my life. To be honest a few years back I could not have imagined the lifestyle that has been mine since 2003. By nature I am a homebody but the sad truth is I’ve spent more time away from home the last 4 years than I have at home. Family life has always been my center but I’ve spent more time alone during this period than I have with family. Now I can tell you that this period has presented more than a few challenges but I am convinced that this has been God’s will for me at this time. Having said that it is obvious to me that God desired to use these circumstances to teach me some valuable lessons regarding life. So if you’ll allow me I’d like to share five lessons that God has taught me.

Lesson #1 – God’s crowning creation; mankind is remarkably diverse. I have had the privilege to work in Boston, San Francisco, Italy, Germany, Virginia, Puerto Rico, Philadelphia, Ireland and New York during this time. This has been a pretty good stretch for a boy born and raised in an insular Southern culture. As Christians we are charged with a global mission. It’s become painfully obvious to me that in order to reach diverse cultures, we must have a command of the essential elements of the truth and be able to communicate in plain spoken terms, many times in a language that is not the primary language of the listener. While I have observed differences I’m struck by the universal similarities; desire for respect, response to love, need for God. My view of the world and an appreciation for the challenges of our mission are forever changed. I have enjoyed immensely experiencing these cultures not as a tourist but working alongside the residents.

Lesson #2 – Time = Commitment. Separation from family is a byproduct of the itinerant worker lifestyle. With crystal clarity I have come to understand that the foremost indicator of commitment to family is expressed by time spent. I have learned that it could be very easy to become irrelevant to those I love most simply by depriving them and me from being together. As a parent I have realized that time away begins to pull you out of a position of influence with children. To make up for time lost I have had to learn to prioritize time that we do have and intentionally plan quality time. The greatest investment is the investment of our most valuable commodity; time. We take for granted our relationships.

Lesson #3 – Complacency can be mistaken for contentment. A normal “existence” runs the risk of complacency. It is very easy to be lulled into a routine that while comfortable does not necessarily equal alignment with God’s will. As a matter of fact complacency may be what the writer of Revelation was describing with the description of the church of Laodicea; neither hot nor cold; just existing. There have been periods in my life where I exhibited all of the outward sides of doing all the right things but there was no contentment. Contentment comes from fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. The last few years have been anything but routine and calm but it has been a period of contentment from deep within because I felt strongly that God had opened this door. While I love routine; sometimes obedience to God’s will forces us outside of our comfort zones.

Lesson #4 – Distance does not preclude Intimacy. Physical separation can lead to loss of intimacy; with wife, children, family, church family. I have learned that intimacy is not always physical. I have struggled to figure out how to maintain a sense of closeness with people that I was not with as often as I once was. While I have learned that intimacy is best in person there are ways to achieve a level of intimacy while separated by thousands of miles. In my case I have tapped into technology. My initial objective with ReferencePoint (and now TouchPoint) was to create intimacy and connectedness in a young adult community that has trouble getting together physically because of very active lifestyles and time away at school. What I found was that the medium was in fact helping me to stay connected with church family from afar. Remarkably God led me to discover an interest in writing that otherwise would have been hidden to me. My email dialogue with some of the TouchPoint “groupies” gives me a sense that I’m participating in church from thousands of miles away.

Lesson #5 – Exhaustion exposes our true nature. Last year I was on the road 48 weeks of the year. The constant travel takes its toll on the body and the psyche. Every year around Halloween I hit a physical and psychological wall and it’s all I can do to hold on to Thanksgiving week or Christmas break which will allow for a much needed rest. What I’ve noticed is that in a state of physical and mental exhaustion one is more prone to exhibit characteristics of the human sin nature. No matter how hard I might want to keep my “natural man” under control it is right there below the surface waiting to rear its ugly head. It is very important to pay attention to our mental and physical health. We cannot be effective ambassadors for God nor can we be loving members of our family if we are not healthy. Our body is a temple; now I have a greater appreciation.

Wow, it’s been an interesting time. You know what, I’m just glad I’m still learning. It lets me know that God is not through with me yet. Ain’t God good!