July 29th, 2005
Now What?
I am too often asking myself this very question. Now What? I am always wondering what the next stage in life will be, what my next big decision will be, and where I will end up after all of it. These questions plague my mind, causing sleepless nights and anxious days. Here is the thing though. I am a big picture person. I need the vision. I must have a clear and decisive idea as to what the goal is. This thinking, however, has led me to too many unfinished projects, too many goals and dreams left unfulfilled. The problem is this; I suck at the details. It is just not something for which I have ever been wired. This is where this journal really begins.
I am at an incredibly happy place in my life. I love where I live. I love my job, although I don’t know how much longer I could possibly imagine doing it. I love my girlfriend, and I expect things to continue growing in that area. I love my church. I love my friends. It is all just really good. For the first time in my life, I feel like I am right where God wants me to be, doing exactly what he wants me to do. However, it is easy in the complacency of my current life to lose sight of the big picture. So I am trying to keep sight of the vision. How do I continue to grow and mature, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? What is the next thing going to be?
This week, NASA launched their first shuttle since the Columbia tragedy in 2003. When I read this and watched it on the news, I was reminded of something. In 2003, at the University of Central Florida, I was heavily involved in Campus Crusade for Christ. The campus director of the ministry at that time, Dan Dillard, was very close with astronaut Rick Husband. Rick was the captain of the Columbia shuttle that was destroyed upon re-entry. Dan’s family was with the Husband family in those awful moments when it first became apparent that something was horribly wrong. I must say that it was my great pleasure to have met Mr. Husband a few times before his tragic death. He was a strong Christian with an awesome testimony. The thing that I will be forever impressed by is this part of his story.
While Rick was in the Air Force, first attempting to become an astronaut, he had to take many tests to determine his aptitude for work with NASA. One of the tests he had to take was a visual eyesight test. Well, Rick knew this part would be hard. You see, Rick’s eyesight had gotten worse while he was flying for the Air Force and was now just below the minimum eyesight requirements for NASA. He took the test while using contact lenses and passed with ease, only to then find out that he had not been accepted into astronaut training school. The same thing happened for three years. Finally, Rick began to head the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Using contact lenses in the test was cheating, and cheating to try and get into this school was an act of doubtfulness that God was indeed in control of the situation. He was not trusting in God. He took the test a fifth time, without contact lenses (failing the eyesight portion on the test), and wrote with his application paper work exactly what he had done the previous four years. To his amazement, Rick received a phone call a few weeks later informing him that he needed to move to Houston as he would soon begin his training to be an astronaut for NASA. At that point in his life, enjoying God’s unbelievable faithfulness, I wonder if he had any idea that he would someday die aboard a space shuttle. I believe at that point, recognizing God’s faithfulness, that he simply asked God the question, “Now What?” Rick was now willing to do anything that God asked of him. If you ever get the chance to read the things said at his funeral, you will find out for yourself the lengths that Rick went to so that those around him would come to know Christ.
The point that I am making here is that there are certain questions we must ask ourselves, and in our relationship with God, there are certain answers that we must listen for and obey. We must obey at all costs. It occurred to me that it is not bad to wonder what will be next. No, the error would certainly be to stop listening to God for what the next thing will be.
Waiting on Him,
Rob
Now What?
I am too often asking myself this very question. Now What? I am always wondering what the next stage in life will be, what my next big decision will be, and where I will end up after all of it. These questions plague my mind, causing sleepless nights and anxious days. Here is the thing though. I am a big picture person. I need the vision. I must have a clear and decisive idea as to what the goal is. This thinking, however, has led me to too many unfinished projects, too many goals and dreams left unfulfilled. The problem is this; I suck at the details. It is just not something for which I have ever been wired. This is where this journal really begins.
I am at an incredibly happy place in my life. I love where I live. I love my job, although I don’t know how much longer I could possibly imagine doing it. I love my girlfriend, and I expect things to continue growing in that area. I love my church. I love my friends. It is all just really good. For the first time in my life, I feel like I am right where God wants me to be, doing exactly what he wants me to do. However, it is easy in the complacency of my current life to lose sight of the big picture. So I am trying to keep sight of the vision. How do I continue to grow and mature, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? What is the next thing going to be?
This week, NASA launched their first shuttle since the Columbia tragedy in 2003. When I read this and watched it on the news, I was reminded of something. In 2003, at the University of Central Florida, I was heavily involved in Campus Crusade for Christ. The campus director of the ministry at that time, Dan Dillard, was very close with astronaut Rick Husband. Rick was the captain of the Columbia shuttle that was destroyed upon re-entry. Dan’s family was with the Husband family in those awful moments when it first became apparent that something was horribly wrong. I must say that it was my great pleasure to have met Mr. Husband a few times before his tragic death. He was a strong Christian with an awesome testimony. The thing that I will be forever impressed by is this part of his story.
While Rick was in the Air Force, first attempting to become an astronaut, he had to take many tests to determine his aptitude for work with NASA. One of the tests he had to take was a visual eyesight test. Well, Rick knew this part would be hard. You see, Rick’s eyesight had gotten worse while he was flying for the Air Force and was now just below the minimum eyesight requirements for NASA. He took the test while using contact lenses and passed with ease, only to then find out that he had not been accepted into astronaut training school. The same thing happened for three years. Finally, Rick began to head the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Using contact lenses in the test was cheating, and cheating to try and get into this school was an act of doubtfulness that God was indeed in control of the situation. He was not trusting in God. He took the test a fifth time, without contact lenses (failing the eyesight portion on the test), and wrote with his application paper work exactly what he had done the previous four years. To his amazement, Rick received a phone call a few weeks later informing him that he needed to move to Houston as he would soon begin his training to be an astronaut for NASA. At that point in his life, enjoying God’s unbelievable faithfulness, I wonder if he had any idea that he would someday die aboard a space shuttle. I believe at that point, recognizing God’s faithfulness, that he simply asked God the question, “Now What?” Rick was now willing to do anything that God asked of him. If you ever get the chance to read the things said at his funeral, you will find out for yourself the lengths that Rick went to so that those around him would come to know Christ.
The point that I am making here is that there are certain questions we must ask ourselves, and in our relationship with God, there are certain answers that we must listen for and obey. We must obey at all costs. It occurred to me that it is not bad to wonder what will be next. No, the error would certainly be to stop listening to God for what the next thing will be.
Waiting on Him,
Rob
posted by Rob @ 5:16 PM
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