Jim Leinbaugh

Maybe it’s growing up in the church and being conditioned to 3-point sermons. Maybe it’s having most of my kiddos serving in the military.  But acronyms have become a staple in my life.  

My previous post detailed how my wife and I have been led by God in this crazy journey for the past several years.  Three steps forward, two back.  Repeating the same Groundhog Day over and over.  I hope we’re just being faithful to what God is calling us to do… not stubbornly wandering through the desert for forty years.

Throughout the years of kids leaving, kids moving home… Seasons of a healthy church home and seasons of unhealthy churches… Spans of prosperity and then tightening our belts… Throughout all these seasons, one thing has remained consistent – my wife and I asking every morning, “What’s next Papa?”  We try to live in constant expectation that God has something new in store any day now.

One thing I’ve done periodically over the years is send out resumes.  I miss working in ministry.  It was truly one of the most fulfilling seasons my wife and I have ever experienced.  So when I hear about an interesting ministry opening, I’ll send out a resume.  Not often.  Maybe a couple of times a year.  I don’t really have any expectations.  It’s not like I’m unhappy with where God has me right now.  But I never want to get to a place where I resign myself to settling or hanging on too tightly to what I have.  I’m always prepared for God to show off and say, “Bet you didn’t see that coming!”  He rarely disappoints.

So recently I sent out a resume.  No expectations.  Just a “What if?” exercise.  A way to ask myself, “What am I holding on to?  How much is too much for God to ask of me?”

So in asking all those questions – the logistics of contemplating a move, how much income can we survive on, would this change help advance the Kingdom – I found myself conducting a mock interview in my head.  How would I briefly and succinctly describe my theology?  How would I justify my often diametrically opposing views on technology and ministry?  And then the final question I asked myself… What are three words that best describe your Christian walk?

It didn’t take me long to answer the first one.  Authenticity.  My wife and I are firm believers in being real, if not raw.  Tired of games.  Tired of pretense.  Tired of acting like “everything is awesome!” when that’s clearly not true this side of heaven.

Two… Humility.  I don’t have all the answers.  No one does.  There’s surely someone better at what I can do.  Smarter than I am.  More capable.  Better suited to be used by God in a particular situation.  The whole scripture thing - don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought…

The third word I struggled with for a bit.  Then it finally crystalized in my mind.  Agility.  The ability to be nimble, change direction.  Like the internet meme - Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. The best laid plans and all that.  In this current season, like all those that came before it, I realize just how important it is to be willing to adjust plans on the fly based on what God is calling for.  Like Moses standing by the Red Sea and God says, “Be still” immediately followed by, “What are you just standing around for! Get moving!”

If only there was some catchy way, some cute phrase or acronym to help remind me daily of what I truly believe are the three most relevant words for my Christian walk.

Authenticity, Humility, Agility… a…h…a…  AHA!

Yes, I had an AHA moment.  More than a moment, I want my life to be a series of AHA moments.  I want the remainder of my days to be a story of AHA moments as God unveils a new chapter to me every day.