I don’t know about you but I am plenty ready for a different conversation than the ones that have been floating about the “meme-O-sphere” online lately. There’s probably a need for quite a few different conversations than what we’ve had lately - but being a campus minister for a long enough time to have a plethora of embarrassing anecdotes that make me sound “old-timey” (*sigh*), I can’t think of anything better to talk about than how to grow our walk with God deeper and stronger than ever before.

Frankly, I can’t think of a better aspect of our lives to work on right now. There’s plenty of stress to go around for all of us in all of our lives … in all likelihood for several life-times.

I don’t know the answers to all the things that cause stress, or doubt, or just seems always right there - ready to suck the life out of us - but I do know that God has something to offer us that’s better than a multivitamin for all of that.

There’s a lot of theology that I take on good faith and I haven’t personally rummaged through back all the way to the beginning of all time, but one area of faith I’m really good at - is leaning on God in the day-to-day battle. I’m not boasting, there’s no boast at all in that. I got that way through some really difficult situations. Some of you know some of those situations.

Leaning on God didn’t take all those situations and “win” them. There are some situations where that is what happened, but mostly it got better because God used those situations to change me. Those changes were often significant and at significant cost to some supposedly treasured aspect of my ego, esteem, or public persona - and while that sometimes didn’t feel too good, God used all of that to heal me from wounds and problems I had no idea how to see or deal with, and those were the real problem for me spiritually. Those problems and sins that were invisible to me were obvious to God and He mercifully determined to free me from them.

I want to get away from this “master of our fate”, toxic-positivity, Christianity as a faith in which the most meaningful practices are outward and numerical. I’m craving conversations on those aspects of our walk with God too. So very much. I can’t hardly tell you how much I want to have those conversations. I want to talk about why in the world there seem like there are more people than ever before who are so incredibly hungry for something - anything - spiritually. And yet so many have written off having those conversations with Christians. And yet I know for a fact that being a Christian and falling in love with Jesus more and more so that now I crave time with Him - and connection more than ever before - and my life is more full of joy and peace and love and happiness. Jesus’ words of “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” means as much to me as “In my father’s house are many rooms”. But this is no glamorous existence, it’s humble, dependent, and prayerful.

And yet - I’m certain that I only have a bit of “fuel” for this conversation. You have some. And so do some others - and I think that’s pretty beautiful and encouraging too.

I don’t know when the next post will happen - hopefully sooner than later. This is a strange semester on campus … a strange semester everywhere actually. Pray for me - and I’ll get it out as soon as God makes it clear.