Early morning awakening, ready to face the day, but still feeling the tiredness of the weekend… Without even trying to think about what the day will be like, my mind rushes in a thousand directions. Though normal, every path seemed to wind up with this thought: Others have said who you are from their perspective, but you are not required to stay the person they say you are.
Immediately my mind went to Jacob, now Israel, as he tells his sons goodbye for the last time. His ending is soon to be, and he wants to distribute his last message.
“And Jacob called his sons and said,
“Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:”
Genesis 49:1 (NKJV)
It may read like a person dying pledge or recitation of a Last Will and Testament, but it’s also prophetic voice. To the firstborn, the one who should receive the birthright, Israel tells Reuben he’s as “unstable like water.”
He marches down the order of his 12 sons and delivers his verdict.
Now. I’m telling you today that though it may seem like everything is set in stone, as a Child of God under the new covenant, I’m not stuck like someone’s word spoken into my life.
I have the ability to change!
As the early disciples changed their occupation and became fishers of men, or Saul went through transformation and became the greatest church planter of the New Testament, you and I are not stranded on someone else’s words. We can become who we want to be.
My Thinking
Headline news this morning wasn’t old news. We knew it was coming. The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, who perhaps led the greatest meteoric rise of any business idea, well, he’s resigning as CEO of his foundling. Where to next? I’m not sure. But can the next guy take it to even higher levels? From selling books in 1994, he builds an empire on giving the public what they want from the comfort of their own home instead of going to the store.
We’ve watched the followers take over the helm at Microsoft, Apple, etc., and though some stuttered out of the gate, corporations angle their way forward, or they fail … Think about Starbucks. The founder came back and took over again until the company reached the next peak, and now it’s in someone else’s hands. Will they survive? Time will tell.
Equally, we’ve watched similar scenarios in many places – some make, others don’t. Kodak missed the rise of digital photography but has since rebounded after certain doom. They are not what they once were, but who knows what will happen over time. Can you even buy blank film any longer? I know I’ve not bought any in nearly 20 years.
The Big 3 automakers are suddenly behind the eight-ball of catching onto the new wave of electric cars. The wave of the future? Who knows. But it seems like they are certainly the rave sought after by the public and politicians alike.
The Church
Very few transitions are notable as failures as many churches are in this century. When doing God’s Business, it becomes difficult to transition from “my vision” to “your vision.” Though the mission is the same, personalities are unique. Moving forward is very much focused on the SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threats). So much depends on the person instead of the Spirit.
The right person at the right time brings the right strengths to the table, and the church picks up and moves to the next height. Wrong person and time, along with inherent weaknesses and threats of the moment, then the church is doomed to a structural change.
Though God never changes (Malachai 3:6), the next generation is either prepared and ready or floundering though they think all is well.
Me, Mine, We, Ours
I watched a video on LinkedIn of a Husky dog whimpering at the headstone of its master, owner, and friend. So, I think about our dogs who will someday go through the same misery if we fade off the scene before them – I watched it with my dad’s pups. I know how hard it’s been to grieve when my favorites have left us – Sydney, Thor, McKenzie, Bear, Tisha…an almost seemingly endless list.
Pets may not comprehend death like children. Or remaining spouse. Life goes on. Memories may fade, but the foundation established by the one who’s gone will hopefully remain strong.
Passing the torch should not create stuttering steps if things are done in order, instructions are given, training is provided, and the right actions step up with the right person. Carry on!
What Am I Saying?
It’s been difficult listening to others describe who I am in such a way that doesn’t sound complimentary. One says I smile too much (that’s their problem, not mine.) Another says I’m too gregarious. Well. Again. Your problem, not mine.
Of all the things I’ve heard through the years, the things others might find fault in me are the very things I find fault. In me. Too lengthy to list here, but my faults are also my strengths. I know what I need to work on, and I do it with all my might. You may recognize something missing in me, but rest assured, I see it, and I’m working on it. Sub Rosa. Under the rose. In the quiet and out of the limelight. I will never have to prove to you I’ve repaired the problem. You will have to see the results in me and comment to yourself if you please. You are not the voice in my life. I know who I listen to, and will follow, till this life is over and I’m laid down to my final rest.
But before I go, if I could give some construction in the form of what you might call criticism, it would be to live closer to God than you do to this world. Listen to his voice, not theirs. Follow in his footsteps, and go where he leads.