You May Be Right. I May Be Crazy. ... But He Uses the Simple to Confound the Wise

As I asked the Lord what He would have me share today, He brought to mind an old journal entry. Let me set the scene:

It was 2018. Dan and I were set to go on our first trip to Kenya; a foundation-laying trip that has impacted our lives ever since. One week prior to our departure, every detail of who we were to meet, where we would be housed, and our in-country itinerary fell apart. We called our third team member, our friend Josh, and the three of us prayed. Coming to the conclusion that we had our flights purchased already, and God had clearly called us to go, we decided unanimously that we would still move forward. The rest is history; God did as God does. By the time we set foot in Nairobi, new connections and itinerary were in place and the Lord has continued setting our path before us, step-by-step, from that time to now.

That intervening week, however, was brutal. We faced incredulity from people who had previously been supportive. Brothers and sisters in the faith, mentors and spiritual leaders in our lives began questioning and poking holes in our willingness to follow God into vastly unknown places. It was from this place that the following was penned. May it embolden you to listen only to His Voice when your obedience causes others to clamor for you to play it “safe.”

Boldness is not the same as recklessness. Fearlessness is not the same as naivete. Optimism and Hope are not the same as ignorance or blindness. Bold, Fearless, Optimistic, Hopeful people who walk in Faith and Confidence are not unwise simpletons in need of a condescending hand to keep them in check.

These are the people who truly trust Him who called them. These are the people who obey despite constant disparagement. These are the world-changers because they refuse to be contained by fear, pessimism, and reasons why living their calling is imprudent.  The Scripture says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…it then follows that those who grow in wisdom also grow in awe and honor of the Lord. His direction to them becomes the very voice of wisdom. They do not follow in blindness, but rather in crystal clear sight of Him – but of Him alone. And in the light of Him, physical danger means little, financial struggles are temporary, the derision of those who are truly blind and unwise – though constant and tiring – falls away unheeded. He is everything.

So you may call us what you will. Reckless. In need of a bit in the mouth to turn us. Naïve. You may ignore our talents, gifts, and history of victory and growth. You may dismiss the multitude of things you don’t know about us because we don’t present our resume. You may decide that we have no valuable words because we hold back our opinions and insights often, choosing to let God work in His timing to straighten our path. You may choose only to judge our forward trajectory and tut-tut at what you see as ill-thought-out. I wish you knew us. I wish you knew all that He who has called us has worked. But you don’t.

So I will leave it all – our reputation, your perceptions, your slighting of our growth, understanding, and ability to walk rightly – everything you don’t see, don’t know, and judge amiss; I will leave it in the hands of the One who sees, knows, and continues to count us worthy of the calling. I strive to please Him and Him alone, knowing that that will almost always displease you. Because just as this is not about you…it’s not about us, either. It’s all about Him.

So I will fix my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith; the prize of the high calling; the crown and joy at the end of the race. I will continue to walk in fearless, bold, hopeful, joyful, child-LIKE faith. And if you cannot see that as anything more than child-ISH, then I pity that you do not know the freedom in Him as I do.