Strong words? Maybe, for some anyway. But not for us!
I have heard those words so many times over the last few years.
I have even said them.
I sat on a beach in Florida once talking to Jason on the phone while I watched our oldest daughter play in the waves. He said, ” I have something to talk to you about.”
“OK,” I answered, thinking nothing of it at all. As I watched Paisley play and rubbed my 24-week pregnant belly, he told me about what God had been teaching him. We were on a vacation without him since he was busy with work. He continued to tell me that he was going to work only part time for his current company and work the rest for the church for pretty much no pay- that we needed to honor this call.
I said ” I think you’re crazy, but OK.”
I will never forget that. It was October of 2012. I immediately told my parents about his decision. They gave me interesting looks and also said, “OK”
Not even a year later he left his full time job to work full time for our church as a Youth and Associate Pastor. It wasn’t long after our second daughter was born.
So we went from two pretty good incomes to a pretty small one and my income as a photographer, which is never reliable.
I got asked by a lot of our friends, “Are you guys crazy?” and, “What are you thinking?”
And now we are here. We have added another child, Jason finished school a few years ago and is officially ordained, and we are now planting a church!!!
He struggled for a while with taking possible jobs with other churches, doing interviews and visits. But nothing ever felt right. He woke up one morning and said “Babe, I think I have to plant a church.” This time I didn’t say, “Are you Crazy.” I said, “I know.”
So many people would look at this and think that it was dumb, that it would be an irresponsible decision for a husband and father of 3 to pretty much go jobless and start a church.
I don’t see it that way. I think he is crazy brave. It takes so much courage to fully walk in faith. To get up everyday and push towards a goal that you can’t see. To also continue to lift me up when I am feeling unsure. When I can’t see this plan. When all my fears and anxiety set in. It takes bravery. He is the bravest man I know.
And all along, God has been faithful. That’s how I know we’re doing the right thing. We have NEVER been late on a payment, missed a meal, or had empty tanks. In fact, we have lived bigger and fuller lives in the last 2 years than I could ever have imagined. Because let me tell you what- we serve one crazy God.
A God that is not afraid to dream big and push us to the limit so that we can also see His plan. He is a wild God, so what is stopping us from believing Him?
I’ll tell you what it is. It’s our own fear.
Fear of failure
Fear of judgment
Fear of letting go of this world’s crap
Fear of looking silly
Fear of looking crazy
Fear, fear, fear…
We serve a God that’s not afraid. So when will we learn to stop being afraid ourselves? Start thinking differently about the crazy ones. They are the ones who might just have something figured out.
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