“God doesn’t always send the obvious, He often sends the unlikely…. the worldly unqualified”.
My Rector, John Riggin spoke most of those words in a sermon a few weeks back, then I added “the worldly unqualified” part at the end. That’s my contribution to the quote above, both literally…. and figuratively.
On that “figuratively” part….
For a span of almost ten years to the day, from age 17 – 27, I played college, then professional baseball. Being focused on keeping my jersey, getting to the next level, or recovering from injuries along the way, required a great deal of self-care and, for the most part, kept me well occupied.
I wasn’t necessarily “bad” during this time but it’s safe to say that God didn’t play much of a role AT ALL during that ten-year span of my life, especially during the earlier part.
Given this….
Once Social media showed up, and I began to reconnect with my old college friends and teammates from years gone by, the version of me that they found, and the Faith based message I now shared through writing, didn’t really line up with the younger version of me they remembered.
For folks that hadn’t seen or heard from me in almost twenty years, I was remarkably unlikely, and woefully unqualified, to be sharing anything Faith based, but… there my unlikely and unqualified self was, sharing away about what God had done, and was doing, in my life.
Here is the thing….
Don’t look around at what other people are doing, or have done, that seem to be well qualified for the work they are doing or the mission they seem to be on. Chances are if they are doing “it” well today, they were likely making a big mess of “it” when they first started.
People that look like an obvious fit for what they are doing today, often started out at unlikely and unqualified. Applies to worldly work, applies to a Faith based mission. (Read that twice)
The world might recruit from the pool of the obvious but, MOST of God’s greatest achievers, the people He has done the most with, throughout history and modern times, were not swimming in the worlds pool of “obvious” candidates…. most were found in the worlds pool of “unlikely” and “unqualified” candidates.
If you feel unqualified to travel the road God is asking you to travel, then that is a good sign that you are at least heading in the right direction.
Don’t ever doubt what God can do both in and through your life. Doubt…. is not from God.
Get In The Boat. Do Your Part.
Unlikely, Unqualified, Undeterred…. From Nose To Toes!
Shane / #16