Not a Bad Question

I dumped a load on a friend the other day because I misunderstood about a meeting time. It took a day or two in considering all that had been written back and forth. I was honest about my feelings. There is a situation about which I am enormously sad. It has gone on for some time. When the dust cleared I realized I hadn't mentioned to my friend that I considered her a 'go to' person for this situation. She's in a season where she is doing a different juggle than myself. So... I thought about the disciples elbowing their way through the original creation of the Good News story and my mind's eye turned to Jesus.

You know how we've all made fun of the 'what would Jesus do?"  phenomenon a while back? Well... again and again when I am lost I turn to the shepherd who has gone to retrieve me and is carrying me back on his shoulder to the flock and ask... Jesus... friend, keeper, savior, rescuer, point to the Holy Spirit-er... what would do?  Then I have to ask the second question:  Can I do that?  I don't proceed forward until I  know the answers to those questions.

I remember back to when I spent three years as a solo pastor ( while single parenting) in a small rural church and think how many times it was possible to go a day with Jesus in my heart. He was always on my mind, ( pardon me Willie Nelson), but I wasn't always sitting on his shoulder letting him carry me.

Is ministry valid if Jesus is not primal? Yes, of course. But we may get lost. Sometimes Jesus says, pick up your bed and walk. Sometimes Jesus says, you're off the grid and behind the gate, let me carry you.

If today is a day you are carried count it as a blessing. It does not mean you are a weak leader, it means you are a loved disciple. Ask more questions on those days. You are closer to his mouth to hear his answer.
Love,
Deborah