Lean In

A couple of weeks ago, God gave me an impression of a winding course on the ice. I knew right
away that it was a bobsled course. As I was on my way to church that Sunday morning, I heard
the words, “Lean in.” As I heard the words, my mind jumped back to the course and I saw a sharp corner approaching quickly. Now, I don’t consider myself a bobsled expert but I’ve seen the Cool Runnings movie enough to know that bobsled teams are notorious for their skill to move together as one unit. How well the team works together typically determines the outcome of the competition.

At the same time, I remembered the best marriage advice I ever received, “When married couples get into a fight, there is a tendency to want to pull away from each other. Discipline your mind and remember that you are on the same team. Don’t run away, but lean in.” Both of these impressions worked together that Sunday morning as God’s Holy Spirit spoke to me. The life course we have planned rarely ends up being the one we actually run. A decision someone else made for us, a wrongful act done against us, or a sudden loss in the family can make for new, unexpected grooves in the course - some like to call “life’s curveball”.

I’d be willing to bet that more than half of our lives are made up of things that just happen without our permission. If you are a control freak like me, you’re probably biting your fingernails right about now.

Unexpected grooves throw off our timing, slow us down, and have the capacity to take us out of the race. It’s during these times, we must “lean in” together as we go around the sharp corner. What do your conversations sound like? Are they divisive? Are you frustrated that no one is leaning in the direction you want to lean? Do you feel yourself pulling away from the team you’re committed to (church, family, friends, etc.) or are you doing your best to bring the team together?

I’m convinced that we cannot stop everything that happens TO us but we can control the things that happen IN us. Circumstances don’t define us but how we respond to them does. Don’t lose hope. We aren’t out of the race as long as we have breath in our lungs. Continue to fight for your team, continue to gather your team, and continue to bring strength to your team.

Blessings,
Pastor Chad
Chad Fagundes is Men’s and Outreach Pastor