The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. (Romans 8:16)
Last week, our family made the annual trek from the southern plains to the northern plains for family camp. The typical day of camp starts with a family gathering with singing and fun. Then, the adults and children are separated for age-adjusted teaching and fun. The structured time of the morning is followed by an afternoon of free time with the family. The day ends with more teaching and fun after a delicious dinner. It's a blast and our whole family looks forward to it every year.
It's also a little bit stressful being around hundreds of strangers. I don't know anything about them and they don't know anything about me. Incontrovertibly, I find myself sitting with someone I don't know at dinner and the conversation goes something like this:
Stranger: Wow! Awesome chicken tonight. Are those real capers?
Me: I think so. I really love those pickled flower buds.
Stranger: What do you do for a living?
Me: That's a tough question. I am a pastor, but I'm not currently serving a church. I am a writer, but I don't have any published works...wait! I do write a blog and I did publish a magazine article. I have a couple of books that I have shopped around but, so far, I haven't had my really big break. I moonlight at a local hospital to help make ends meet. I like sheep. (!) What do you do?
Stranger: I'm an orthopedic surgeon.
Me: Oh. Those are really good capers.
Maybe I should have just answered, "pastor" and left it at that. After all, what I do really isn't who I am. Who I am is much more interesting after all; I am the child of God; the Creator of the universe and the Savior of the world! Everything else I do is sort of secondary to that.
I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill. The orthopedic surgeon was a good guy, dedicated to his family and his calling and was just making conversation. We did talk a little about kayaking, but I left feeling like I could have done better. And I know it will happen again...for whenever two or three are gathered and don't know each other's name...it happens. But maybe there is a better way for me to handle that inevitable conversation...
Me: I think so. I really love those pickled flower buds.
Stranger: What do you do for a living?
Me: I'm a pastor...I do a little church consulting. I have been married 16 wonderful years. I'm the father of three totally awesome boys. I love to write and kayak and I am interested in animal husbandry. I dabble in medicine. What do you do?
Stranger: I'm an orthopedic surgeon. I have also been married for sixteen years and I am the father of three great girls. I'm thinking about buying a sheep farm in Ohio.
Me: Cool. To God be the glory! Brother, let me tell you about Hampshire sheep...
Church Stopping. Less doing. More being.
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