Will God make it 3 for 3?

Hoosier Reborn & Family at Sycamore Hill, Indiana

So-this notebook from my previous post.  In September, 2007, a band by the name of Simple Man followed our church leadership to their annual retreat which, in my mind anyway, became one of the most important watershed moments for the direction of the church.  The band came back to the church at the conclusion of the retreat to hold some time of reflection and worship for the congregation, just as they had facilitated on the retreat.

While the band was in town, our pastor asked if the lead singer would come in and pray specifically for a couple of guys in our church-me being one.  Dan (the singer) suggested I read a book called Discover Your Destiny.  Hmmmm.  I'm not typically one to get into self-help, self-actualizing types of books, so I was pretty skeptical.  But, I relented...and went through the book, journaling out the questions at the end of each chapter in my notebook.

As I went through each chapter and series of questions, the book led me (any reader) to process through goals and desires in your life to better understand what may be preventing you from fulfilling those.  It helped the reader pare down all of the "stuff" into three concrete dreams/desires of your heart.  I landed on these three:  start my own business focusing on preservation, have a place of retreat in the country, and change the culture of politics particularly in relationship to the Church in America.  As I was reading through the broad aspects of what these would look like and what would be necessary to see these happen, all recorded right there in my notebook on pages dated from October through December, 2007, it was quite startling to realize that in just seven years two of the three have been fulfilled.  Two out of three.  2 of 3.  In seven years.

How would I have ever known that by the end of June in 2008, I would have to make a decision to step out of the only job I had ever known and start my own business....in my own words to "ride it for as long as God lets me."  God still has me on that ride.  And then at the end of 2009, I would stumble upon this place of respite in the country we call Sycamore Hill, Indiana.  Which, I realized in sketching out a logo for the farm using its initials, in reverse, they are I H S...in His service.

So, God's left the toughest one until last.  And it's the only one I didn't ask for myself, though I desperately want to be an agent for change in breaking the sad culture of politics in our community.....and more broadly, change the culture of the Church as it relates to politics.  I don't know what that looks like honestly.  And I don't even know if I will get to be a part of that.  But for both the health of the Church, and the health of our community, we need to more fully grasp the negative impact of politics as usual.  I've been told to keep these kinds of comments to myself-that somehow it is unhealthy to talk about it in light of the Church, or that it only alienates me in political circles.  Yeah, somehow I think ignoring it won't lead to change.

So, now with a new understanding of how I need to be truly thankful for realizing and living those first two goals, I can only patiently pray that God will answer the third.  But I can't keep quiet....not when I'm expecting 3 for 3.