Immersion Worship

I read a book not so long ago about the true story of a guy who survived a plane crash in the middle of a mountain range. He had to find his own way back to civilization since he was so remote he knew that he and his fellow survivors would never be found.

There is one part of the book that describes how he had to climb out of a valley and over the top of a very high mountain, but the knowledge that freedom was on the other side gave him the determination to make it. The only problem was that when he got to the top of that mountain, he looked down the other side only to see another valley and another mountain to climb beyond that.

That’s where Rhonda and I find ourselves today. After all the bad stuff that happened earlier this year (Rhonda getting in to a car accident and needing surgery, my mum dying, my dad having a stroke, my job security all but evaporating, and the financial concerns that come with all of that), we found ourselves at the top of the mountain. I got a fantastic new job, God provided for the financial impact of the car accident and the surgery, my dad’s rehabilitation going well etc. At the top of this mountain, we were expecting to see a clear path on the other side.

What we see now is another valley that we must walk through.

On Wednesday morning this week, my wife was let go from her job at Starbucks Coffee Company in another round of corporate redundancy lay-offs. She’d already survived two rounds but didn’t escape the third round of cuts. At a time when the global economy is in meltdown, this was a really hard pill to swallow.

Since then I’ve realized that my outlook has been all wrong. When did God ever promise us an easy ride, or only one set of mountains of conquer? This morning I am actually feeling very positive about these changes. Starbucks was never our source. The company that I work for is not our source. I’m not tied to the world’s economy. God is my source and I operate entirely inside His economy.

Sure there will be changes. Dish Network will go. Cellphone packages will changes. Even the amount we drive will be reduced. But isn’t that just sensible stewardship? In fact, I’m hoping that these changes will disconnect me a little more; less TV, less time with a cellphone stuck to my face, less concern about being entertained. Instead, I hope to replace it with more time with my wife, more reading, more growing, more learning, more stretching, more being challenged.

Thank you, Starbucks, for putting us in a position where we will see God do some massive things.

Thank you, God, for being true to Your word and taking care of what we need, not what we want.