Free Falling

Psalm 127:1-2 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved.

Luke 9:3 He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money - not even an extra tunic."

Luke 9:62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

If we are not doing that which is blessed by God for us, we are wasting our effort. His way often, actually always, pulls us away from that with which we are comfortable. We must chose which path we are to take.

My life has changed a lot over the last few years. I have accepted a call to pastoral ministry, studied for and received my license and gotten married. These changes are putting an ever increasing pressure on me to let go of the life I had prior. I suppose that I am a little afraid to move in that direction. I'm proud of what I had built. I returned to respectability and self sufficiency in that time. I returned to life. That is the problem I suppose. Pride and fear. I'm afraid to give up a big source of respect, pride and security that I have come to rely on. It's frightening to move away from the known (even if it obviously has problems) into the unknown. That however is clearly the path to which I am being called. But to let go and free fall into nothing with only faith to rely on... Wow. Leave behind pride, leave behind respect, leave behind security. Christ calls us out of the world of our making into the kingdom of God. I have to let go of one to embrace the other. The choice is mine. The choice is yours.

Father God, I pray that I might have the courage to live by faith. Please strengthen me and enable me to go where I hear you calling. You have never let me down. Let me remember that when I am afraid. Amen.