Homeless

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Matthew 8:20 New International Version (NIV)

            Sometimes we are a bit particular in the vision we have for our lives. We know ourselves (we foolishly believe), so we know best what lifestyle will work for us. Married or Unmarried. Kids or No Kids. Settled or Transient. Ice cream or Cake (okay…AND might be a better word here).

            Our lives are decorated with purpose. We can see into the future, and we have appropriate adornments prearranged for when the time comes. Every choice from the friends we’ll have to the activities we’ll enjoy to the paint (or wallpaper?) on the walls has been deliberately considered. It’s all under control.

            Hmmm….Or maybe not.

            We all say we want to trust God implicitly, but, if you’re like me, you spend way too much time making plans for your future. We’re basically wasting our time, because whenever I try to plan my future (for the record, I don’t have bad plans!) God ALWAYS does something else. No, I’m not exaggerating. It is always.

            My thoughts are a dull piece of dust compared to the explosion of beauty that is His universe. No wonder we’re not on the same page. What is so interesting, though, is that as His outrageous plan is worked out in my life I find myself experiencing a drastic change of opinion. Many times when I yield to His plan, He lets me see what I was missing in its beautiful unfolding.

            A great example of this is the way Jake and Maggie have prepared to leave everything to go to SE Asia. There has been such a wild shift in their perspectives that they even embrace the insecurity of homelessness. They told me about a conversation they had with another man at their school. The three of them realized that they were essentially homeless.

            They garage sale-d, Goodwill-ed, or dumped most of their stuff. Most people would feel sad about losing so many of their things. Not these guys. Their friend said it best.

            “I’ve never been happier in my life.”

            Tell me that’s not a crazy shift in perspective. I don’t know how Jake and Maggie saw their lives playing out when they were younger, but I would be stunned if this is what they planned for themselves. As wonderful as their plans may have been, they seem thrilled to be following God’s blueprint.

            It’s a phenomenon that makes me scratch my head. When I let God set the agenda, my plans are wadded up and tossed in the trash, and I’m delighted. Sure, there can be some time between when God ends our plans and when we get happy about it. Maybe more time than we’d like. But if we yield to His plan, our hands raised in surrender become hands raised in praise.

 

Prayer Points:

• They would have divine appointments in this time before they leave for SE Asia.
• They would pick up new tasks and understand them quickly once they join their SE Asia team.
• They would quickly learn to communicate in every way necessary, including an understanding of the culture and customs.

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