Defining Moments I

What value do they have? In Vineland, New Jersey, on Nov. 10, years ago, Newcomb Hospital, 10:53 p.m., I had one of those. On the big picture it was the first.

Are you in a fog about your future? Another defining moment for me was at a cold, snowy, northern Ohio retreat center in 1999. I was, as usual, being trained to help others, when God broke through. My journey made a new level of sense. God showed me what He had been doing in my life through history. I was led through a process of discovering defining moments. There were many more than I thought, some not so obvious at a glance. Some were happy moments, relationships, experiences. Others were deep, hurtful, and profound.

Often, when I am in a fog, my tendency is to want to look forward, at opportunities, obstacles, and people. Then, I try and predict what God wants me to do or how He wants me to respond. When you think about it, nothing could be tougher. Talk about the pressure of a psychic, prophet, circus freak, and stock broker rolled all in one!

Don't go Pharisee on me, now. I am not limiting the ability of God to speak to a person and say walk this way, respond that way, etc. I will say God is doing that barely 5% of the time that we actually try and invoke that Christian bullet proof vest.

When God reveals His will, both large and small, what will He use? There again, the powerful QBQ (Question behind the Question). For me on a snowy day in Ohio, I was liberated. I cried. I felt loved. The future became clear. Why? Because God put His arm around me and showed me what a lot of the stones in my past really meant. The fog lifted. A defining moment.

Florence yesterday. Great people. I really have moments, not all the time, I don't want to scare those who know me well. I call them big league moments . . . when I say, I get paid to do this? Normally it is when I spend the day on cell phones, in cars, and in restaurants with people who are passionate about God's Kingdom. Carl Martin, Art Fulks, Rob and Sandy White, Kermit Morris, Debbie McDowell, Gloria Shull, Chris and Susanne Reeder, and Frankie Melton were just a few. More today as World Headquarters moves operations to Florence for our annual meeting. Live reports are coming. I will suspend thinking totally out loud. Could be dangerous.