Full Circle

There have only been a few times in my life where I have felt like I have come full circle in something. What does it mean? Well, it's when something completes a cycle ... returns to its beginnings ... return to the same situation or same attitude previously held ... seeing something that once brought pain or sorrow, maybe not as joyful, but as something that no longer brings those same negative responses ... I suppose it could be a negative at times, but we mostly see "coming full circle" as a positive thing.

I have flown into this airport, dropped people off, picked people up, watched my parents take off and land from this airport since I was a little kid. The last time I flew into my hometown airport, my dad picked me up. Today was the first time no one in my family was there. It was strange.  I remember growing up here ... the first time I flew into here was when I was 2 1/2. My family moved to PA from California in 1968. But I remember many times when we would pick up my mom, and because the airport was so small, we could go up to the outlook and watch her plane land from outside - or yell to her as she would walk to the airplane outside, as that was the only way back then to board the plane!

Why did I fly into this airport? Well, I live here again. It has been 29 years since I left to take my first job coaching and teaching as a 21 year old. My dream job back then was to be a college head coach - basketball - to be able to take my teams on missions trips. 

What happened in those 29 years? That's a story for another time, however, here are the basic statistics .....

1 year in FL

4 years in NJ

12 years in VA

2 years in MI

10 years in OH

PE/Health teacher

coached high school basketball, volleyball, softball, field hockey, cross country

Health Club manager and District manager

"family nanny" for my brother and SIL

coached college basketball as assistant

Assistant professor of sport management

got married

5 mission's trips

I never had the desire to come back "home" to Clarks Summit. I didn't see that as my "dream job". However, God often has different plans for us, and I am now in a dream job. Back at my alma mater, head coach of women's basketball team, an assistant AD ... living in my childhood town ... and flying into a newly renovated airport. Am I starting over in many ways ... ?  Yes. But God is Good. The. End.

So as I flew into Wilkes Barre (barry! not bar), after spending a sweet weekend with lifelong friends, I am reminded that I have come "full circle". Will I be here the rest of my life? I don't know. Only God does. So in the meantime I will grab a cup of coffee in the morning, dress in my athletic wear :), and go to my office ... at Summit University ... my alma mater.

I hate flying.

"But even if He doesn't ... "

When I was a kid I remember my mom telling us the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego .... but there was a second "version" she would use when it was time for bed. It went something like this:
"Shadrach, Meshach, and to bed you go!" I have never forgotten their names or the story.

I heard a message today on these men. Nothing new ... a story I have heard my entire life. But given life's circumstances, I see it a little differently. When faced with the option of bowing down to this idol, or die in a furnace, their response was amazing to me ...... (my paraphrasing) "the God whom we serve is able to save us, but if He doesn't .... we will still not serve you or bow down to your idol."

Its the, if He doesn't, that I have never really paid attention to or that we don't hear deeply taught about. At least I haven't.

Just because God can do something, perform a miracle, answer a prayer the way we think is right or even biblical, etc. doesn't mean He must do it. Just because He is able does not mean He is obligated.
Not every story has a happy ending, but it will have a perfect ending - when Jesus comes, when we are made new, when we are finally what God originally created us to be.

God doesn't always keep us from the fire ... but He does walk with us - it allows us to encounter Him in a way we would never have otherwise. It allows us to experience the Living God. If we bow down to our "idol" - fear - we will miss an incredible experience with Jesus.

Why did God allow these 3 men to go through, literally, a burning fire anyway, if He was always going to save them? Well, they didn't know God would. They knew He could. But they were prepared to die if He chose not to. Thousands of years later, we are still talking about them and their story. That wouldn't have happened if they didn't take on their fear (dying by fire) in order to experience Jesus. Their experience was traumatic to say the least. They had no idea what was at stake in their obedience.

We all experience the fear of the fire in our lives. We can obey Jesus and experience Him in a way we might not have and allow Him to walk with us in the fire, or we can let our fear win over. What might be at stake in my personal "fire"? I don't know. I hope this isn;t arrogant and it is said with the utmost proper perspective: I hope that years down the road people are telling the story of their aunt, their friend, their sister - about how she allowed others to see Jesus walk with her in her fire, and that He was/is glorified.

He can perform that miracle, He can do anything ..... but He doesn't have to and He isn't obligated to just because He can. But this He will do: He will walk with you/me, just as He did with these three men, through your fire.

Now its to bed I go.....