I read something the other day that tickled me - that the church ought to be like the airport; when you check in, they don't ask you where you've been, just where you're going! I say that to avoid answering (to myself, I suppose) the question of why I haven't posted anything in over a month, yet I call myself a writer, and not a two-time one either. Even this has taken some doing. OK, maybe more like a whole lot of doing, and I'm trying to slot it in between a game of scrabble with my always winning computer and yet another blank page waiting for words from me, with a deadline to boot.
Nevertheless, to pen I must...what about though? We could discuss McCain's running mate, or the Somali pirates and that ship with our tanks (or are they Southern Sudan's?), or perhaps the problems on Wall Street. The first doesn't concern me much, the second I can't comprehend because I don't believe Dr. Mutua these days, and the third...the third reminds me about that saying of Jesus - that everything that's done in the dark will eventually come to light. It also reminds me how fast things can change.
A month or so ago, I was on full-speed, heading forward with the 'wind in my sails', so to speak. Full action, blasting through, and then wham! everything came to a standstill. The best way I can describe it is what they do in movies - there's a fight going on, guns blazing, blood flowing, then suddenly, a decisive bullet is shot and the camera shifts to following that bullet in slow motion. For a few agonizing moments, every detail of the bullet is examined, it's direction scrutinized, and it's progress followed with keen detail. In slow motion.
That's where I've been, that slow motion part. It's been an interesting semi-pause, filled with many insights from the One on High. Pastor Briggs called it "The Relaunch" series. I've christened it my "Luke 5 Month". I've heard a lot about casting the nets one more time "because He said so", and now, I'm at it. One of the things I've really wondered about is how many nights those guys had been fishing before Christ turned up to tell them to try one more time - it doesn't matter though, because of that "not where you're from but where you're going" business. Their boat was soon sinking, because even though they acknowledged they'd already had a hard time (we've been fishing all night), they still went ahead to believe that maybe this time, things would be different.
On one of those Sundays, Pastor Briggs (God bless his heart!!) talked about one more interesting thing. The story of Peter being supernaturally released from prison. How the BELIEVERS had been hard at prayer for his release, but when Rhoda came running from the door to report "Peter is here!", they told her to stop being foolish. That just wasn't possible, they said, and went back to pray some more. The believers didn't believe their prayers had been answered. Surely, God didn't work that fast now, did He? (Just ask the guys on Wall Street about the speed at which circumstances can change)
Here I had been, praying and believing, but because we'd been through this so many times, through fishing all night and many nights, there was no real expectation of an answer. The bullet was fired, but in slow motion scrutiny, it was rather obvious hope of its reaching its target was missing, for some reason. How surprised I get when God actually does answer. Me believing man of God me. Yes Job of Uz, I see that hand!
There's something about relaunching that's so...freeing. The slow motion part was for the small adjustments (cast your net on the other side of the boat, Jesus said. The other side? That's like a couple of meters, what difference can that make? Peter must have asked.). Done with those, the movie continues. The fun part is at the end, when the knock at my door comes, and it's the answer to my prayer. Then I can say, like David, "I love the LORD because He hears and ANSWERS my prayers".
Meanwhile, I'm living as if it's already here - from prayer to praise. Faith is an active verb.
