I remember, probably all the way back to the 1950s, a big campaign to educate kids on the dangers of rail crossings. Drilled into our little heads were the words Stop! Look! Listen! We were taught that extreme caution was better than getting run down by a freight train.
Too bad we don’t recognize the freight trains heading our way today.
It has been two months since my last blog post, and I believe God grabbed me by the throat and yelled in my ear, “Stop!” Then he said, “Look around!” And finally, “Listen for me!”
It started with a business trip to northern Ontario in the teeth of the now-famous Polar Vortex when, as I was driving in 40-below temperatures and 50 MPH winds, I realized that a simple engine failure out there all by myself could be the end. I wasn’t afraid. It just gave me a sense of awe of the power of God.
Later that week, God said, “Stop!” On a slippery driveway in northern British Columbia, my feet slipped on some unseen ice, and I crashed on my back, head hitting first on the ice, followed by the rest of my old bones. The next day, dazed and battered, I was caught in a horrendous rainstorm in Vancouver and got desperately lost trying to find my hotel.
By the time I got home, I couldn’t produce much of anything, let alone a blog.
So God said, “Look around!” I did, and what I saw was not pretty. Several errors were found in my book, no one had read the last few blogs, promised speaking engagements suddenly dried up, very few people outside close friends and family gave a hoot about pursuing unity seriously (you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink).
It is always good not to panic at these moments. God has a message and it will be delivered if we stop, look around, and listen for him. For two months I could not write a thing.
Yesterday he spoke.
It was not a new message to me. It was an affirmation of an old, very powerful message. And I believe it will completely re-energize the ultimate vision of Streamside.
To be continued next time – stop back in a couple days!
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