Yes, 30 years ago I had just finished my second year at Southwest Missouri State University, now just MSU. I attended a conference called "World Thrust". It traveled around the US, challenging students and church folk - who all sang from hymnals then...see my post from last week - to see the needs of the world and "go anywhere, do anything, say anything, and give anything, the Lord wanted". Or something close to that.
It was the final night of the conference, and as the challenge was given to stand if THAT is what you wanted to do, I sat. My group of SMSU friends all stood, I think. But I sat there, wrestling with God. It seemed pretty all inclusive. Funny thing about "Lordship", it IS all inclusive. And somehow, I got that at that moment, and realized this was no ordinary moment in my life. I wondered if my life would end up being boring, or if God would make me marry an ugly woman, just to see if I could handle it (how odd is that?). I wondered if he would send me to be a missionary to some foreign land never to be seen by friends again. A gazillion issues that would keep me from doing this flooded my head. All the normal fear of a God just looking for a chance to totally ruin the lives of those who would bend the knee. So, there is your stated theology, and there is what you really believe. I was wrestling with all that.
I went back home and kept wrestling with God until 2 in the morning. He finally won, I literally bowed, and said "okay, I'm yours". Life has been anything but boring, I fell in love with a beautiful woman, and I have gone to some pretty remote places on the planet, but I've got more friends than I can keep up with. I met Kim for the first time at this conference in a sweet irony of God's plan. Kind of a punctuation mark on the script of my life where He says, "how's that for knowing what I'm doing if you will just listen and follow!"
Fast forward 30 years. In less than 50 days, 20,000 students from around the world will show up in Korea to consider His Call on their lives. His love for all people, nations, languages. And another call to surrender will be given, the CM2007 Pledge. And who gets to help write that Pledge? And help plan this conference?
Yes, the humor of God, the plan of God, the love of God is wrapped up in all this, that I would get to be part of what He is doing. He must be rolling His eyes. God will use a goofball if he lets Him.
Jim Elliot said something like this: The will of God for our lives is always bigger than we imagine. It's true. Believe it. Ready. Wrestle.
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6 comments:
Wow... really looking forward to The Pledge at CM2007! :)
And here's praying that many people will surrender themselves to the Lord!
Amen to that Vincent. The heavens applaud at the full surrender of God's people to his loving rule in their lives.
I am wondering about your wrestling match.
For instance, did you wear a traditional luchadore leotard and mask?
And did you get a new name and a limp afterwards?
EL BUBALO!
Um. Is it wrong to make goofy comments after such a serious post?
Probably.
Hmmmm. Good post, Keith. I really enjoyed it.
hrm strange tt i can't rem how i stumbled upon yr blog, but I'm guessing it must be through some CM2007ish website. yr entry today really was God's encouragement to me after a long hard day. but it was a good day, cause i jus finished raising the $1100 i needed to go for the conference & begger's/rural mission. PTL! and ur jim elliot quote was 'no mere play of irresponsible chance, but planned intent' on God's part im sure (as amy carmichael would put it.) cause i jus started rereading shadow of the Almighty today. we have one great God. and we'll see His ginormuous work on campuses multiplied at CM07.
- signing off fr halfway across the world in singapore, grace
Great to know too that the humor of God, plan of God, and love of God still gave you an attractive wife.
Grace - I hope we meet at CM2007. I was in Singapore in December. Have KH Lam find me so I can say hi. Your note encourages me by what God is doing around the world. I'm glad your support is in.
Andy - yes!
Matt - what can I say, you make me laugh all the time. I don't know about a new name, but there has been lots of limping this past week for sure.
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