"I believe we could grow at [the first church we visited], but I believe we will be challenged at this one." These were words I spoke to my family after visiting National Community Church here in the DC area. I still thought we would be challenged in our serving and, specifically, to the homeless community. I was dead-on regarding being challenged, but wrong in how I believed that would take place.
About a month ago, Pastor Mark Batterson's (NCC's lead pastor) new book "Chase the Lion" was being released and he gifted the entire congregation with the book before it hit the shelves. This is a sequel to the first book he ever wrote, "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day" and I have never been one to read things out of order. So, we bought the first book to read first.
Life-changing. (And I am only halfway through it!)
Of course you realize I am chasing a figurative lion, but in case you are wondering where that comes from, read 2 Samuel 23:20-23. The key verse is this: "[Benaiah] also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion." This man accomplished many such feats and King David eventually put him in charge of his bodyguard. The question, then, is: What lion will you chase to reach the dream God has for you?
As Pastor Mark began preaching from his new book and I began reading his first book, all the discouragement and restlessness I had been fighting began to have a focus. Chris and I spent many evenings talking about the lions we might chase. I shared with him that I want to write, but I don't know where to start. In the very next sermon, Mark talked about wanting to chase the lion of making a movie, but he has no idea the way forward. That is where I am--I can't see the way forward. I could quote innumerable times God has used either Mark's book or his sermons to speak directly into my heart and my head:
- I think, "What if I heard the call wrong?" He answers, "When we don't have the guts to step out in faith and chase lions, then God is robbed of the glory that rightfully belongs to Him."
- "What if no one reads what I write? Or, worse, what if they don't like it?" I needed to hear, "The goal of life is not the elimination of fear. The goal is to muster the moral courage to chase lions."
- I cry, "I don't have time to focus on writing--I have boys to teach!" "Opportunities often look like insurmountable obstacles." and "You have to do something counterintuitive if you want to reach your God-given potential and fulfill your God-given destiny."
One of the biggest obstacles I need to overcome is my own mindset of what I think I have to offer the world. I don't feel like I have anything to say that hasn't already been said. Then one morning I check Facebook and in my news feed is Jen Hatmaker promoting an e-workshop for aspiring writers and she says this in the post: "The world will never tire of more good words." How did she know what my biggest obstacle is?!?! How on EARTH did she read my mind?! And THEN do you know what happened? A friend who has been following this 3-part blog post and encouraging me, sends me the link to this workshop in case I didn't see it. That was so encouraging to me! That was God using women to propel me forward in what He is calling me to do--doubts and all.
The restlessness and discouragement are gone. Did Pastor Mark do that? No, I don't believe that for one minute. God did it. I don't believe in coincidences. If it happens and it is too good to be true, God orchestrated it. He uses people around me to speak into my life and encourage me. He uses books in my life because I am an avid reader and He meets me in the pages.
And there you have it--the beginning of my chase. Thank you for sticking with me. I have no doubt there will come a day when God has done whatever He is going to do with this lion-chasing girl and I will read this 3-part blog post and think, "Why did anyone ever read that?!" But I wanted to chronicle the journey. So, thanks for reading it and encouraging me. Maybe you'll see my name in a byline someday or maybe I will write for my 6 followers. But I will be chasing the lion into the pit on a snowy day and that is all that matters.
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