There Be Waterfalls Ahead

Have you ever been on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride at Disneyland?

The ride begins innocently enough. You are floating quietly through the bayou, listening to someone plucking a banjo, watching the fireflies and waving to the diners in "The Blue Bayou" restaurant. Then, suddenly you plunge down a waterfall once, then twice, and the ride has begun.

That's kind of like what the month of March has been for me. Suddenly, I have taken the initial plunge of announcing the changes to our church and, in two more Sundays, will be taking the second one as we close down the operations of Walnut Valley Vineyard Church (WVVC). I have had the continual feeling of "butterflies" in my stomach, like I do when I contemplate taking those plunges.

It is a reminder of what the Kingdom of God is often like. It seems like I am waiting and yearning and crying out for God to move. And then, when He does move, it comes suddenly and is outside of my control and I find myself crying out to Him again to stop so I can catch my breath.

I have to remind myself that I can't have it both ways: either I want God to be in control; or I want to be in control myself. And when I am sitting quietly and in my right mind, I know that I want God to be in control.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2: 20).

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it" (Luke 9: 24).

So there's the rub. If I truly want to live the Jesus-life, I must die so that His resurrection life can be lived through me. So much for the illusion of control.

How about you? When you are sitting quietly, in your right mind, are you committed to dying to the self-determined life so that the Kingdom life of Jesus can be lived through you? It is better to make that decision now, while the banjo's are plunking and the fireflies are twinkling than when you go hurtling down the waterfalls that are sure to come.