This is a brief series on fuzzy hope -- when you want something but you don't know what it is. There might be six of these. To get it automatically in your inbox, go HERE.
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Two quick stories:
I once spent a morning with an older man whose wife suffered from Alzheimer's. He had been a Christian university president with more ministry beyond the school.
He resigned from the school and his ministry to care for his wife. He said it was the normal thing to do because of the vow he made when they got married.
He said taking care of her was his 'assignment.' He didn't even have to think about it.
Another time I was helping a pastor record his regular one-minute feature for New Life 91.9, the radio station I serve. He always stopped at one minute even though I knew he had so much more to say. I told him it took discipline to do that.
He said, "My job is to take care of my corner of the pool. I don't have to say everything."
If I try to summarize the creation account in Genesis in my own words as simply as I can, I think this is one of the things God is saying to us:
"I'm a creative God and I made you in my image. You're creative too."
"Bear fruit. Make a mark in the area of your dominion. Shape it. Oversee your area. That's your assignment. That's your corner of the pool."
Obviously that will look different for each of us, otherwise we'd all be watching over the same corner of the pool.
So what does it look like for you?
As you squint at your fuzzy hope, don't think of a job or pay or a defined role. It might involve all those, but don't think of that. Think desire, compulsion, satisfaction.
And don't expect the regular, traditionally defined boxes of "calling." You might be the only one of you.
Yes, it would be easier to think of it as a traditional job, like teacher, entrepreneur, pastor, missionary, table tennis ace. But you might miss something.
Don't assign yourself a corner of the pool just to relieve the tension. You don't want that. Don't rush into clarity for it's own sake. Don't force your fuzzy into a box.
Your choices are wider and more mysterious than you think.
Next: Some practical questions to probe your fuzzy hope
I'm loving this series, Gary. I'm going to spend some time thinking about my corner of the pool. I've never really considered my area of "dominion". I believe this will be very helpful. Thank you.
Posted by: Reese | Monday, August 13, 2012 at 11:28 AM