Go Back To What You Know

In 2007 when we felt devastated about the Feed Barn, a business we put a lot of hope into – we didn’t really know what to do when it all fell apart.  We felt lost, without direction, we felt so sure that the Lord has led us into that business.  When things fell apart it was more than a financial hit, it felt like a betrayal or a punishment of some sort.  I remember vividly in the midst of our confusion and our processing, of where to go from here; a friend called up Charlie and said he felt like he had some insight into our situation; we were all ears.  He said, "Just go back to what you know."  He talked about the story in the Bible, in John 21 when Jesus had died and risen again, and he had appeared to His disciples a few times, and his disciples weren’t sure what to do, because everything had changed for them, but they didn’t know what to do with themselves, they felt lost and confused and bummed.

  Some of the disciples just decided to go back to what they knew….they went fishing.

Our friend's advice to Charlie was to go back to what you know.
 Charlie did just that, and went back to building. 

I would love to say things just boomed for us once we did, but I can say, God has faithfully and abundantly provided everything we have needed.

Charlie never left the building business completely, even during the Feed Barn days, but he mostly just ran the jobs and subbed out most of the physical part of building.  When we went back to what he knew, he went back to a lot of the physical part of building and often times would work alone. Frankly, it is humbling and hard work and has felt like a step back for 10 years now,  he has been back to building and working with his back. 

Charlie has often said that God would provide for the next thing when it was time to change it up,  just like He did in this story when Jesus provided the net full of fish before He called Peter to the next thing.

I feel like we have been fishing all night, or building for 10 more years, and now Jesus has told us to throw our net on the other side, it makes no sense because we have the experience and we have been at it a long time, and to just throw our net out and expect different results seems silly.

 I feel like whatever God has us doing right now, is just getting us ready for the little fireside conversation with Jesus.

We aren't looking for a  promotion or a prosperity promise; that would counteract all that we have learned from Him all these years, about His provision and His faithfulness, and our need to depend on Him daily.

 I think this is where we are in our journey with Him, and things are about to get very different for us. 

When Jesus asked Peter 3 times if he loved him….

All 3 times Peter responded with yes, and you already know I love you….

And Jesus would respond to Peter’s YES with

Feed my lambs.

Tend my sheep.

Feed my sheep.

The question I have running thru my head and beating in my heart, is what does this lamb feeding, sheep tending, sheep feeding look like for us. 

This is GRACE, it isn’t a conditional love on either end of this relationship…
it isn't Jesus saying…
IF you love me THEN do this….

And Peter isn’t saying:

IF you know that I love you, THEN tell me how to prove it.

It’s taken most of my life to get past the IF / THEN part of the love story between me and Jesus, and really me and anyone.

I think of it like my kids….I don’t feed them to prove my love and I don’t feed them to make them love me…..I feed them because they are my kids and need to be fed.
  I'm thrilled to love them, and feeding them and caring for their needs is just part of what I get to do in their lives!

It’s not a conditional agreement of our love…it’s just who we are to each other.

Help us to LOVE you so much JESUS that our answer is:

Yes LORD you know I love you, and out of that love I want to be a part of something you are doing.