the land of the unknown

I pulled up on the scene. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. Pictures don’t do it justice. It looked like a bomb went off. It was Friday morning- the first morning after the EF-4 1.7-mile wide tornado rolled through the nearby community of Newnan, Ga.

Hundreds of people grabbed chainsaws and headed towards the devastation. I’ve only operated a chainsaw like 2 times in my life, but that didn’t stop me! I went to my local home depot and rented one to see where I could help.

I was surprised to see all the people pouring in on Newnan. Tons of people stepping up and helping when there were so many reasons (down power lines, roadblocks, overwhelming, lack of plan etc…) not to go help.

Still, they went. That’s what love is all about. In the words of Bob Goff, love does. It moves you into action. It’s beyond words and beyond prayers.

Love goes to the places that other people are running from. It goes to the spots of the most pain and the most hurt and then does something about it.

That’s what I’ve witnessed over the last 7 days. People, from all different backgrounds, rain or shine, simply going and doing.

“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you….”Gen. 12:1

I’ve learned something over the last seven days. Every time I go to Newnan I don’t have a plan. As a full-time pastor, that feels really weird. We’re supposed to know all the answers and have the day marked out to the minute. Well, I don’t. When I get to Newnan I don’t know where the needs are going to take me. I just go.

Here’s what I’ve realized. In the unknown, God moves. He has taken me to people that really need help. People that I would have missed if it was just up to me. People that have amazing stories and are full of life in the hardest situations. People that teach me a thing or two about what it means to love.

As Jesus followers, we have to be willing to move into the unknown. Scratch that…as Jesus followers we have to understand that God is going to constantly call us to the unknown. It’s where God is.

Think about it. If we just lived in our comfort zone, then why would we need God? After all, we’re pretty good at our own comfort zones. But what about the unknown of meeting a neighbor, or the unknown that lives on the other side of forgiving someone that hurt you, or the unknown of serving a family that is hurting? I believe that God is hanging out in those unknown spaces.

What if the best things in life are found in the land of the unknown?

I guess what I am trying to say is this- if you wanna see God move, then you’re going to have to move towards God….and God is hanging out in the land of the unknown.

Where is God leading you today?

If you would like to help with the Newnan rebuild go to go-day.org for more information.