Your Circle

Another day, another field trip!  Today the bus is at Collinwood, just south of Cokato and Dassel.  It's a beautiful day for the 4th graders to be out exploring and learning about God's creation.  Praise God!

I came into Cokato to have a late breakfast with the other driver and got a message from the Cokato Manor suggesting that I stop and spend a bit of time with a family about to lose a loved one.  So I did that.  It was a God blessed opportunity, seeing that I was having breakfast, at the time, no more than 100 yards away from the nursing home.  And what a privilege to share the good news of Jesus' undying love with those who are near death.  "Blessed are the poor in spirit... Blessed are those who mourn..."

Last night at huddle* we were challenged to notice "God Blessed Opportunities" like that.  God blesses us in so many ways every day, sometimes with affirmation, sometimes with correction.  The key is to NOTICE them and then ask the Lord to help us learn the purposes he has in mind to teach us.  We used a diagram like the one below:

The dotted line represents our every day lives.  The X at the top represents a moment when we notice what just might be God's action in our lives.  The "X" is sometimes called a "KAIROS" moment.  It's not that God isn't acting among us regularly, it's just that at times we think, "hmm... could that be God?" or "Is there something the Lord might be trying to tell or teach me through (whatever it is)..."  Sometimes the X moment is a scripture reading.  Sometimes it's an unexplainable "God-incidence" like the one I experienced today at the café.  Sometimes it's a difficulty or crisis.

In any case, what is good then is to take time out to process what we have experienced instead of just letting what might be a God-moment go by unnoticed.  Doing this "processing" in a group, particularly with others who know Jesus and the Bible, with others who are likewise trying to learn from the Lord... doing this with a group like our "huddle" will keep us from getting too far off track.  I'll process this moment, and others, with those I'm learning to trust in the "huddle" next week.

Once we notice and consider making a change based on observation, reflection (and PRAYER!), we discuss it with others and then make a plan to put what we have learned into action.  The "believe" part of the circle is the way we responsibly act on what we have learned.  Again, it's important that we do this with others so we aren't deceived by our emotions, our faulty perceptions, or our sinful selves.

Over and over again I have seen the Lord put events like the "café call" today.  I've seen these as confirmations or affirmations of my sense that I should stay in the Cokato-Dassel area.  I'll check that with the group next week.

God can speak to us through many kinds of events, even those that are hard.  I have certainly experienced those too.  But, as we will hear in the song "He's Always Been Faithful" on Sunday,

I can't remember
a trial or a pain
He did not recycle
to bring me gain.  (Sara Groves)

So, what is God doing in this "everyday" of your life? What's your circle today?

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*A "huddle" is a group of 8-10 Christians who meet regularly.  Marcus Haug is leading Crossroads first huddle.  We have met three times so far.  For more see Huddle Logistics.

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