Ahhhh... You feel that? That's total revitalization. One week in the woods does a body, heart, mind and soul good. If I were a doctor (which I'm not, but if I had just met you on the side of the street I'd like to think I could convince you I was) I'd make all my patients spend at least one week a year deep in the woods. No phones, no TV, no indoor plumbing, just them, nature, and the overwhelming urge to eat at White Castle. So maybe the White Castle thing is my issue, but everything else would do people some good.
Anyways, though Northmen was amazing as always, I'm gonna' hop back a bit to when I was reading the book The Barbarian Way.
JOHN 21:18-22 NIV
Peter, like most of us after hearing something foretold about our future, wants to know about some of the other guys and what will happen to them. It's a fair question, especially given the information he'd just heard. I'd probably want a little comfort knowing I wasn't the only one who was going to meet that same kind of ending, too. Rough times are often easier to take when you know you're not the only one. So he asks about John. What's Jesus' reply? He simply says what happens with John is of no concern, "You follow Me." Undoubtedly, there was some part of Peter that may have thought he got the short end of the stick. Here he's told he's going to be killed in an unwanted fashion, and yet it almost seemed as if John was going to live forever. If Peter had known the reference, he may have muttered a quiet "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha" under his breath. John had just won the Mega-Millions while Peter had been mugged on his way to buy his ticket. There is a huge lesson to be learned here, though.
Everyone's walk is not the same.
If we had the choice, every one of us would take a John calling and not a Peter calling. But that's not the way God works. We cannot get bitter, especially to God, because one brother or sister seems to have an easier/better walk than us. We must learn to be content in our walk, to handle our struggles. If we could ask Him directly, His words to us would be the same as they were to Peter: Follow Me.
Follow Christ in the way He is calling you, not in what you want that calling to be; even if you see others who have a calling closer to what you desire. And if you really want to know what Jesus would say if you could ask Him about your calling? I'd be willing to bet He would even want you to be supportive of them in their walk while not forsaking your own. Being a Christian has struggles and trials, regardless of the calling, and we have to be there to support one another.
Walk your walk. Love your brethren. Follow Christ.
Brett "Woods are good. White Castle is good. White Castle in the woods is bad." Hibbler
Just wanted to say how much I appreciate your "Vitamin C" articles. You are a gifted writer and after hearing you talk about the book, "The Barbarian Way" I got it and am really enjoying it!!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work
Connie