I read Eugene Peterson’s book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction many years ago. I think a good friend recommended it to me then. I pulled it off my bookcase this afternoon to re-read it. I’m not sure what happened to my original copy, but as it turns out, Peterson made very few changes in the new edition. He wrote in the 20th Anniversary Preface: “I was prepared to do a lot of changing. I have done hardly any. It turns out that there are some things that don’t change. God doesn’t change: he seeks and saves. And our response to God as he reveals himself in Jesus doesn’t change: we listen and we follow. Or we don’t.”
That last line got me. we listen and we follow. Or we don’t. Sit with that for a moment. What flashes before your mind? It probably wasn’t a memory of your immediate, unwavering obedience. More likely it was a time that you willfully disobeyed and suffered the consequences. I can relate.
If you read my previous blog entry you know the story of my “delayed obedience” in writing my most recent book. I refer to it as the book I never intended to write. But God has a way of moving us out of our complacencies, excuses, or out and out rebellion. Remember Jonah’s whale story? In fact, this was not the first time I ran the other way when God asked me to write. It was in 2000 that God was nudging me to write another book. I resisted the “call’” for more than a year. In 2001 my husband, Don and I were staying the weekend in a friend’s desert home in California. We decided to attend a local church on Sunday. We knew no one there, but made our way into the sanctuary sitting among about 200 people. The sermon text for that morning was Jonah 3. The pastor made some introductory remarks and then read Jonah 3:1 which says: “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time.” As clearly as I heard the pastor read those words, I heard the Lord say within my spirt three simple words- write the book. This time I obeyed and the book which was titled Unclaimed Baggage: Dealing with Your Past on the Way to a Stronger Marriage was authored by my husband, Don and me and published in 2003 by Navpress. I still have the Bible that I brought to that Sunday morning service and beside Jonah 3:1 I penned a memorial stone-book, summer 2000.
What I’ve learned over the last 58 years of being a believer and follower of Jesus is that His call is always for our good and for His glory. He asks us to partner with Him, not to produce for Him. When we partner with Him we are co-laborers as well as recipients. His gracious presence spurs us on and endows us with riches we could not have anticipated.
This latest book has finally been completed and is awaiting publication. I have no idea what is going to happen with it. But, what I do know is this: Jesus once again has taken me back, in order to move me forward. His tenacious love for this broken woman’s life has triumphed once again! To Him be all glory and praise!
Stay tuned!!