Whimsical

This morning I seem to have a bit of energy. That's been missing for a couple weeks so I appreciate the opportunity to get up and get active even if its only for a short bit. Hey, you take what you can get! The quick health update is that I'm getting through another rough stretch this time complete with periphial neuropathy- meaning I'm losing some feeling in my hands and feet. All this is fine with me as long as I keep winning the cancer battle! All the news so far has been good on this most important front and so side effects are to me just a temporary inconvenience.

I have been doing a bit of reading and just finished 'A Million Miles in a Thousand Years' by Donald Miller. He's one of my favorite authors especially from a style perspective. In this book Miller writes about the process of having his life made into a movie based on his bestseller 'Blue Like Jazz' - a book I also enjoyed. The result is Miller wonders as they rewrite the details of his life to make it more interesting, if we could rewrite the details of our own lives for real, what would you write?

In his travels Miller meets a man who is leading a successful life and trying to help as many people as he can. And he asks Bob, what is the key to living such a great story and he answers, 'he didn't think we should be afraid to embrace whimsey.' Miller goes on to write, ' I asked him what he meant by whimsey and he struggled to define it. He said its that nagging idea that life could be magical, it could be something special if we were only to take a few risks.'

And those words ring true to the very heart of me from experience. How my greatest worship moment came in the mountains of Colorado with 50,000 other men because Atonement men stepped out in faith to take a trip they had no idea about. Or how on a still evening on a windy hill the LCMS balloon glowed brightly for all to see. Or I could give you numerous Atonement concert or VBS stories filled with risks and ending with whimsey-faith building life memories.

Miller writes, 'I believe there is a writer outside ourselves, plotting a better story for us, interacting with us, even, and whispering a better story into our consciousness.' And I too believe this- that we are called out of our comfort zones into an active faith to write the best story we possibly can with our lives by the grace and help of God. I remember writing about the saints being disponable- having listening ears connected to prepared hearts, ready to act on God's call.

We too are saints. We can be disponable. God is calling us out of our comfort zones to our own whimsical story, a story filled with risks and work sure, but also one filled with even greater joy and love for one another and service to others. When God directs the story, the whimsey of a silent night becomes filled with angels and glory. Storms become water-walking opportunities. Dinner becomes a miraculous feast for 5,000. These are God's whimsical stories- so much richer and fuller than the ones we dream of on our own.

'Whimsical Lutheran Church', wouldn't that be a name to raise eyebrows? Maybe that won't fly but what great story would God write for a whimsical church, unafraid to take risks in His name? What great adventures would we have? How many lives could we impact for Him? I hope we all get to find out someday! See you Sunday.

Whimsically Yours,
kp