I consider myself a pretty self-aware kind of guy. Maybe too much so. (Self-awareness is a debilitating curse…) So I’m pretty sure that if I were trapped in Hell, it would consists of a couple of scenarios.

The first circle of (my) Hell would be being locked in a 24-hour Wal-Mart on Senior Citizen day. All the shopping carts gone. Everything moving at a snail’s pace. Except in the restrooms. Nothing moving at all in there.

The second circle would be me accepting an invitation to lead worship at a camp. Upon arrival, I’d find out that the camp was filled with 10,000 pre-teen girls, between the ages of 8 and 11. And they all sing on that same squeal-pitch you get when you step on a cat’s tail. Don’t get me wrong: little girls are precious, and worship is a matter of the heart. I’m just pretty sure my heart couldn’t take 10,000 howls while singing "Here is Our King".

The third and final circle would be an eternity of meetings, sticky notes, spreadsheets and plans… Like great Redwood trees, with roots  that grow deep and become immovable and well-protected. And I’d never get to put feet to the ideas. Put a gun to my head and paint the wall with my brains.

So, to take the edge off, watch this and thank God for His grace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU9YeOQm3Y0


I have to ask: how much of our ministry efforts are overplanned? Over-strategized? If you know me at all, you know I’m much more productive with plans and sticky notes. But Jesus tells us to be led by the Spirit, literally, the ‘wind’ of God… which we don’t know where it comes from or where it goes. But we read the signs as the great Redwoods of our planning meetings bow to it’s gentle and mighty power.

Remember that there is One plan that trumps all others. That the wind (and waves…) obey Him. Subsequently, so do the trees and everything else.

On a day full of meetings staring me in the face, I’d much rather be SpiritWind-surfing than tree-hugging.