In the book of Judges there was a guy names Gideon. Back in the day, he was tending to his stuff and the Midianites were running amuck. An angel came to Gideon and said it was time to take back the land and put the Midianites down. Gideon did what most of us would do… he questioned God and the wisdom of what he was being asked to do. (… a common theme throughout the Bible)
Gideon responded to God (and I paraphrase) “Ok, God… BUT… just to be sure I understand, I will put down a piece of wool and YOU make it wet with the morning dew but keep everything around it dry.” The next morning, it happened just like he’d asked.
So he did what most of us would do… he said, “Ok, God that was pretty good… BUT… this time make the wool stay dry and everything around it wet”. And the next morning… it was as he had asked, so he stopped asking.
A few months ago I started feeling like I was being called to step aside from my role at The 410 Bridge – a ministry that I fell in love with several years ago when Lanny first cast the vision for “what missions could be.” I joined in right away and was part of the very first service trip that 410 took to Kenya. That was in April of 2007.
I have been blessed to volunteer with the ministry and 2 years ago felt called to come on board full-time to help increase the outreach arm of 410. Today, where at one time we were just ONE person strong in this area, we’ve grown to FIVE strong… and I began to question if I was meant to stay any longer.
Jim Collins (author of Good to Great) was recently quoted to say that sometimes the right seat on the bus outgrows the right person that had been in that seat. This was exactly how I was feeling. I felt that I was being called away from my role and that it was time to move on. But this meant to step out of a comfortable place and into an unknown area. Was there a place in this economy for a middle aged, balding, IT geek with one kidney? Not the usual stuff you see in a classified ad! So I questioned the legitimacy of the request. I put out my own “piece of wool” and asked God to please show me more of the picture he had in mind. He graciously did.
I leave The 410 Bridge in person but my heart will stay. My family and I will continue to support the ministry in any way that we can. I hold the leadership in the highest regard along with all those that I have had a chance to meet and walk with along the way… on both sides of the bridge.
It’s been a great ride. I am, and will be, forever thankful.
