Keep Rowing!

As life advances -- it's tempting -- to stop advancing.

Why?  Because life, in many respects, gets harder as life advances.

But Jesus wants us to advance, no matter the season or circumstance.  For our advancement is, nevertheless, possible - for Christ's call, nevertheless, is constant and continuing.   

Over vacation I ran across an insightful thought from Paul Tournier in his book, Learn To Grow Old.  "I believe that God has a plan for man [sic] at every moment...I am quite certain God reigns, that he rules the world -- not only in general -- but down to the tiniest details...[And so]...what is [God] asking [you] to undertake?  That is what must be discovered -- [and so] the natural thing -- is [to] go and ask him." (p. 155, emphasis added).

Currently I'm asking:  God, what are you asking me to undertake? For God's call is constant and continuing -- even in transition.  But a call -- now -- to  do -- what?  

One thing I know:  I'm not called to to 'sit' and 'sink' in questioning.  For God wants movement.  Translated:  God wants a new inquiry,  a next step from me -- toward His continuing call/plan for my life.   For as Jesus notes in John 15:  “You did not choose me, but I chose you -- and appointed you – so that you might go -- and bear fruit – fruit that will last…”  (John 15:16, emphasis added).   

The implication?  God keeps moving, no matter the season or circumstance.   And God wants us to do likewise, toward the 'next leg' of His adventurous future.  For 'in Christ,' we continue to be chosen -- we continue to be appointed, at any point on the journey -- to continue to reach for 'God's gold' -- the truth and priorities of His glorious Kingdom!

The Boys In The Boat is a heroic tale of the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that rose from great obscurity and hardship to win the gold medal in crew rowing at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.  

Now normally only a more pampered, prestigious rowing team would win a gold medal at the Olympics – you know a rowing team from Yale, or Harvard, or Princeton.  But the University of Washington rowing team won the gold medal at the Olympics – building a team out of the ‘rough and tumble,’ the grief of life – out of young men recruited from dirt farms – logging towns – and gritty shipyards.   

They did it in three ways:  1) first, they didn’t let adversity and grief have the last word; 2) second, they believed they were still appointed, called to an even greater mission; 3) they determined they could not move forward without a diverse team effort.   Translated -- in the words of author Daniel James Brown -- they needed a varied team made up of “…someone to lead the charge, someone to hold something in reserve; someone to pick a fight, someone to make peace; someone to think things through, someone to charge ahead without thinking…” 

And it worked – as they went beyond their season and circumstance, grasping anew their appointment and mission, affirming a diverse team effort -- thus moving forward, moving forward -- eventually grasping the the gold! (adapted: Daniel James Brown, Boys on the Boat (Penguin Books, 2014, pp. 178-179

We're called to move forward, grasping God's gold -- the truth and priorities of His glorious Kingdom  And it happens as we're willing to go beyond our season and circumstance -- and grasp anew -- our appointment and mission -- nevertheless.   

For our best days are not behind us -- but before us -- as we row toward God's adventurous future!   For as Karl Barth ably notes:  "In any moment we meet the call of God anew, and, hence, in every moment it is as it were 'just setting out.'"  - Karl Barth 

And so matter your season or circumstance, meet the call of God anew!  

Set out!  

Keep rowing!  

Keep rowing -- nevertheless!