32-What’s Your Problem With Blessing?

Greetings weekly viewers. It’s a beautiful day and I am sitting in my living room enjoying a nice warm breeze blowing through my living room window, exhausting the stagnant, moist air that lingered from yesterday’s 91-degree, Michigan treat. I have much to be grateful for: we have air conditioning that we use sparingly, but was very nice for such a day as yesterday. I have an awesome home where I do not need to mow the lawn or shovel the driveway in the winter. My family is healthy and beautiful, and brings joy to my heart everyday. Project Forty is moving along and has reached my desired goal for quite some time…we’re doing trips and mentoring teens!

For the longest time I have been battling with the amount of time it has taken to go from the vision of leading teens on wilderness trips (2001), to the “Move!” call (2009), to now having 4 trips on the schedule and mentoring teens on a weekly basis. I have thought to myself, “Lord, why does it seem like nothing is happening? How in the world did Moses wait 40 years on the backside of the desert before going up to Pharaoh?   Why isn’t the insurance working out?” This is a short list compared to the many other things that have certainly brought about discouragement and fear.

On the other hand, I have been encouraged by my wife, family, co-workers, and strangers I meet in the day to day, that have been a beacon of hope to press on. “Moses waiting 40 years is also an encouragement—the man still had strength and greater faith at 80 years old to approach Pharaoh. Maybe I still need preparation? I can work with that.”

Blessing. Blessing is blessing right? Blessing good, curses bad. For years I have been longing for the fruit of my labor. I couldn’t wait for people to be interested and ready to book a trip. I was excited to have my devotional guidebook in print. I was ready for donations to consistently flow in order to be able to fund the gear necessary and maintain the ins and outs of running a business. Patience is a tough game to play, but well worth a victory.

I am specifically thinking about the 4 trips that I have on the current schedule. If you have been following along at all this year you would’ve caught some footage from my February trip to Munising and heard some snippets of my May trip with Midcourse Correction. Both were awesome, unique and impactful. As the blessing of these trips and the one that I am on currently as you read this blog, comes a whole host of other issues! What? How can one complain when they get what they have been seeking and praying for?

Well, humans are capable of just about anything that is twisted from God’s point of view… it comes naturally. So here the thing: with these added trips and interest from others comes a new set of challenges and fears. “Should I turn down a trip? How much time away from my family is okay before my absence becomes a serous problem? Now that things are more legit, will insurance become a necessary obligation? I still don’t have enough monthly supporters! Ahhhhhh! God, I’m not ready for all this blessing!” I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve even entertained this thought process. Humans.

I’m sure that you are answering my questions already as you glean the words on this page, but allow me to throw out an idea. God is not interested in our comfort! The blessings are indeed awesome, but our comfort level may not change to “Ah, my barns are full, I can sit back and relax now” mode (Luke 12:13-21). I know that this was not exactly the context of what we’re talking about, but the idea still applies that God is into His creation “sitting back in cruise control.” He has more for us to do, more for us to trust and devote our loyalty. He has an infinite depth of relationship skills that He desires for us to grow in. When we face more fear it means we need to build more faith. Faith that the blessing is a blessing. Faith that the new, bigger challenges are not too big for God to handle. I hope that this has blessed you, and please pray for me and the 19 others that will be journeying through the Clifty Wilderness in Kentucky this weekend!

-Matt