An Ordinary Radical.

I have another blog that's been a long time in the making but still isn't finished. It's regarding all my new intern friends and it's taking a little more thought and energy than I anticipated so I decided to give you a little something to chew on in the meantime. Perhaps you will have digested this before the next one comes out.

It's 3:30 in the morning and I'm awake because why? Because the Lord is tugging my strings again. He's tugging the ones involving money matters. You know those strings? The ones burrowed deep in the core of your heart. They get tangled and they snag on other more vital strings, ropes in fact. The ropes of love, and compassion, and humility. The money strings ruin everything. And I am ready to whip out the scissors and just start snipping. But for now, I'll let God try and untangle them for a bit.

I just spent the past 4 hours writing letters. Hand-writing letters. People don't do that much anymore and I fully intend to bring this archaic form of communication back into existence. Nothing warms my heart more than receiving a bit of snail mail. So I figure, everyone has to feel the same way as me, right? Don't you all appreciate letters? Well I hope so, because I'm pretty sure almost everyone that frequents this bloggy site of mine is receiving one soon...and if you don't, it's simply because I don't have your address.

What do these letters have to say? They're simply asking for money. Simply. How can one simply ask for money? It's not simple. Not simple at all. It's gut-wrenching and it puts your dignity in check. It takes courage and humility beyond any other task. It's tough. And sticky. And I used to hate it. But God changed the bulb and cast a different light on this so-called "raising of support" for my glossy eyes. I'm not simply asking for money, I'm simply presenting an opportunity for God's chosen people to give to the kingdom. And I bare no shame in that. I lose no dignity. I shall lack no courage. If you say no, you say no. But I cannot, and will no longer, refrain from presenting that opportunity simply because of my own human insecurities.

That said, I am reading a book that is tearing my world apart...in a fantastic and staggering way. It's called The Irresistible Revolution. I'm sure many of you have heard of it. It's pretty popular among the Jesus lovers of today. And if you haven't heard of it or if you have and haven't read it or don't own it, stop reading this measly blog and go buy it right now. Amazon.com. Brand new. $10.19.

I have to share one passage with you that has pinched a nerve, severed a string. It's a quote from Rich Mullins. He was giving a talk at Wheaton college (which is apparently the Harvard of Christian schools? who knew?) And here goes, "You guys are all into that born again thing, which is great. We do need to be born again, since Jesus said that to a guy named Nicodemus. But if you tell me I need to be born again to enter the kingdom of God, I can tell you that you have to sell everything you have and give it to the poor, because Jesus said that to one guy too...[and he paused in the awkward silence] But I guess that's why God invented highlighters, so we can highlight the parts we like and ignore the rest." Put that egg in your shoe and beat it.

So ever since I read this I can't get it out of my head. I mean...if what I'm deciphering is truth, God wants me to sell everything I have and give it to the poor. Talk about money matters and heart strings. Shane Claiborne, the author of this book, presents this idea of followers of Christ becoming ordinary radicals. We're nothing special. Just because we have chosen to accept the gift God has for us does not exalt us. We are ordinary. As ordinary as ordinary can be. But we are called to act in a radical way. To love when no one else will. To give when there is nothing left.

So here's the brewery. The thoughts bubbling in my brain. You all know me. I'm a planner. I love to plan my life years in advance and guess what...God changes those plans..and that has consistently affirmed me in my faith and will continue to humble me. And that's why I choose to plan anyway...knowing full well that Jesus will butt in and quake it up a bit. So here's the plan...the idea...the inkling...

Krista and I are gonna hike the Pacific Crest Trail in the spring of 2011. Which gives us 6 months after the internship before the hike to plan and sell. That's right...sell. It's heavy on my heart and I'm prepared to be obedient. I'm going to sell everything I have and put the money in a savings account for when I get done with the trail...Immediately upon finishing the trail, Krista and I are planning on hitting the road. I want to be an ordinary radical. I want to obey the commands of Jesus and go frolic with the poor. I know this seems lofty and you probably scoff at the ludicrosity. But pray for me. I want to be free from the bonds of money and I think this might be the only way. If I don't have any of it...maybe it can't shackle me any longer.

So this year I'm going to get out of debt. I've created a budget. An incredibly strict one. And I will adhere to it. I have accountability and I am an adult. I'm prepared to act like one...while still holding onto my imagination. I've always had lofty aspirations. And I will continue to do so.

You're all invited to come along. Come live life loudly with me. You don't have to be audibly loud in order to create loud reverberations among your peers. A couple other things that have been sparkling in my life lately...

1. Make it a conscious daily effort to make someone's day. Sometimes it's easy. Sometimes it's hard. Regardless, you will end up making your own day in the process. Guaranteed, you will be more blessed within the interaction, than the person you were attempting to bless.

2. To sacrifice is to be truly human. I'm learning about sacrificial love. Sacrifice. Do things you don't want to do in order to love the way Jesus does. I've battered and bruised my body more times in the past month than I have in my whole life. I'm convinced. I can't go a day without pinching a finger, banging an elbow, bumping my head, or knocking my knees in or on something. It's incessant. It's inevitable. But this body is a gift. Who cares how battered it gets. It's a gift and I will choose to sacrifice it in order to serve the God who gave it to me.

3. Our God is a God of details. So the word of the day, the week, the month, is NOTICE. Notice your neighbor. Notice the sunrise. Notice leaves dancing in the wind. Notice smiles. Notice the intricate ways our God has provided for us. Just take a moment and notice.

That's all I got for now. I'll be back later. I have to sleep. It's 4:08am. What?!