Rain

One of the interesting things about the book of Nehemiah is that it's an Old Testament book about the nation of Israel turning back to God via the work of re-building the wall around the city of Jerusalem. The wall had been burned out and knocked down by the invading hordes as a result of the Israelites turning away from God.

Here's the trick: the Israelites hope and trust was always supposed to remain in God, not the wall. But re-building the wall was nevertheless the work that God called them to do. So the people were doing a work that God invited them to do that could nevertheless be their undoing in terms of keeping the main thing the main thing.

Enter New Student Welcome.

It rained last night on our picnic. The first rain we've had in what feels like months. The first time it's rained on the picnic in something like a decade. We squeezed in a little bit of the program and tried to get people fed and connected to their small group. But it felt rushed and a little frantic. Not exactly the welcoming, polished, creative, engaging event that I had hoped it would be. It's hard to be polished when you're running for cover.

I believe that I'm called to do New Student Welcome events. The picnic is a part of me being faithful to build this wall. But this morning as I was cleaning out Kool-Aid-sticky drink coolers, I reflected on my temptation to put my trust on the events to do God's work rather than on God to do God's work.

Generally speaking, God uses the picnic as a primary entry point for us to connect with new students. Just like generally speaking, God uses walls around cities to help protect his people. But every so often, the walls aren't there or the picnic gets rained out. In times such as these we are forced to consider where we've placed our trust. Is it the wall? Or the picnic? Or is it God and his Spirit who are bound by neither of these?

I'm fighting today to believe and trust in the latter.

A number of times in the Old Testament God says the Israelites have too many people in the army for the battle he's called them to fight. God wants to prove that he's the one who delivers his people, the one who wins battles, the one who is the Primary Actor. "The battle belongs to the Lord" declares the Psalmist again and again.

I pray that a month from now I'll be declaring the same thing with fresh confidence and enthusiasm.