People Will Never Respect You Because Of What You’re ABOUT To Do
“My wife and I have thought about adopting for a while.”
“I’ve always wanted to write a book.”
“I think I might ask her out.”
“Yea, next time I go to a show I’ll sponsor a Compassion child.”
“You know, I’m gonna finally tell my boss to chill out and treat us with respect.”
“Dude! The church I’m planting is going to feed the homeless every Saturday morning.”
“That’s it. I’m seriously going to drop everything and become a photographer.”
These are just a few of the lines I remember from conversations I have been part of or overheard (yes, I’m a stalker) the past few weeks.
Dreams are fuel.
They fuel us to victory.
But most of the time they stay just that.
Dreams.
I lived most of my life “about” to do something.
Then one day Heather and I decided to stop living almost and start living all out.
Since that decision we have adopted our son Losiah, climbed the highest peak in North America, Jumped out of airplanes, been on a reality show, moved across the country, quit my job, signed a record deal, traveled to Uganda, co lived with 3 families, and so much more.
I honestly don’t share that to brag.
It might sound miserable to most of you.
We have had our share of suck.
If you read our blogs you know.
But we also realized that the American dream of white picket fences and a 9-5 isn’t our shtick.
And here is the harder truth.
It isn’t a lot of yours either.
You are living in the myth that stability = simply and safely existing.
Those statements up top usually end a few months later with financial, lack of time, fear, and man power excuses.
Here’s the truth.
There will NEVER be enough money, time, or help.
Heather and I spend at least one night a week looking at the checking account and crying then laughing then crying.
I could get a job at a church and play it safe.
That would not be a bad decision.
It would be a great decision.
It just would not be the RIGHT decision, right now.
Because right now God has called me to pour into the global church and when that season is over, it would be a blessing to work in the local church again.
Just not now.
And so we pray, fast, hustle, laugh, and cry.
And inside all of that, we live.
I’m willing to bet a lot of you are ready for an adventure.
So what is it?
What are you going to do this week to take that one step away from safety and towards calling?
Los
It’s too dangerous to actually pull the trigger…
But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
bam
I’m Gpoing to finish a song that i’ve been writing for a while, and take my wife bikie riding, we have lots of fun, haven’t done it in a while.
atta boy
This was powerful. Thanks for sharing it. Its easier to believe in what someone is saying when they’re living proof.
thank sman
you suck, los. why must you ALWAYS kick me in the gut. but i have three kids under 5. but i have a great, well-paying job. but i’m scared. these are my excuses. thanks for making them out to be what they are…just a bunch of excuses. maybe one day i’ll get the guts. probably not.
ha! you will.
We (me, Cool Mum, and 1.5 y/o Cool Baby) moved to NYC last year with 3 bags and no job. Since then, we've lived in apartments the size of most people's bedrooms, but I got a job, and we're actually making it in the city.
However, I don't want to become comfortable in our wonderful church and the good friends we're making there. Fortunately, NYC offers plenty of opportunities to stretch ourselves even if our little apartments don't allow us to.
amazing. inspiring. keep living!
i love this post
and I love you
I’m about to retweet this.
Thanks for the post, Los!
yah man. keep keeping on.
I'm still trying to figure out what God wants me to do. I'm encouraged by the words of Zac Smith at the bottom of this post (http://gbrenna.com/2WRY). "You will be faced with many struggles in this life. My encouragement is that you pick the harder path." Los – You're an inspiration to me. You're a constant reminder that I shouldn't give up so easily. Stick it out… it'll get better, is the message I'm hearing.
It will get better, then worse. then better, then worse.
I hope it ends with a "then better"
That so speaks to me today.
I've been reading your blog since before the LA Ink thing, probably longer, but I can't remember when I first started. Seems like a while. Your words have encouraged me, challenged me, and taught me things I doubt I would have ever learned otherwise.
Thanks for being here. (And thanks for getting this comment box fixed…….)
If fear is a lack of faith, fearlessness is a reflection of a deep and abiding one. Your story is a powerful example of what it means to live in the freedom purchased at the cross. A freedom many exchange with or without intention for the illusion of control, stability and propriety. I commend you Carlos (and Heather if you are reading this). I also challenge you….didn't I read something somewhere about you "wanting to write a book some day"? :0)
"Now to HIM who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to HIS power that is at work WITHIN US, to HIM be glory… " Ephesians 3:20 The Great Giver of dreams is also the great provider and sustainer… asking that He would breath life into the valley of dry bones again… use me God! Thanks Los, powerful stuff. I need that today!
BCB
Twitter.com/BryanCBailey
Posts like this are why I keep coming back. Great words and a great challenge. My wife and I are working through a lot of this right now. One very specific thing we are doing this week is beginning to clear out our house of as much extraneous physical stuff as possible. Our goal is to be positioned to move by next summer.
Honestly Los I've been a little burned by the church leaders of the ATL area with their their lack of support or "advertisement" via Twitter on ways to help the victims of the ATL flood, What better way to reach out for support than through Twitter…where 1000's of people are following and reading updates…
At first I thought to myself, I should send/do something.
I'm sitting here unemployed. Thinking to myself, I don't have money to spare right now…but I still have my apartment. I have a dry home. I have a bed to sleep in, clean clothes to put on in the morning…
So I took action.
I sent a box of clothes that have been in my closet to Courageous Church who was advertising on how to help flood victims. Wishing I could do more, I encourage everyone reading this do something to help.
This post hurt….I feel like I have lost my mission and vision for a little while now.
I am trying to find something, anything that is calling me to do. I keep moving forward with things and they keep being shut down. God is teaching me patience, the problem is I am not patient at all. I have been without a job for the last 4 months and am about to go insane because I am apart of nothing.
I don't want safety or security that america talks about (the american dream) I really want to follow God, it just seems really cloudy right now and I don't know where I am going.
Thanks for the encouragement and the call to stop being about the "about" and start moving forward.
This is challenging and makes me feel uncomfortable…gooooood.
One of the questions I ask every day to challenge myself in this area is "Am I willing to risk all that I am for all that God wants me to be" I think we can and should ask that of our families, our relationships, and our churches!!
LOVE IT! Risk = adventure = meaningful living!
we're filling out the paperwork to start the adoption process…only God can make this one happen as the hubby is in school full-time (we're paying out of pocket) and his work in construction is next to nothing right now. seems crazy to start the adoption journey now, but then again, most of the stories in scripture seem pretty crazy too!
I'm in the adventure right now and loving it. Left my Wall St job and working every day with young men in the Dominicain Republic and loving it. But there is always the risk of complacency. The risk of resting on big decision and not continuing to push forward and go where the spirit leads you. We step out in faith and then we are like okay God take it easy on my now. It doesn't work that way and we shouldn't want it to. Never been so alive.
Great. I don't know if this post inspires me or makes me want to vomit. The range of emotions I felt at the end left me exhausted.
Damn.
Not to take away from the accomplishment or sound critical, but that wasn't the highest peak in North America. The highest peak in North America is 200-some-odd miles north of my house, Mt. McKinley at 20,320 feet.
Now that that's out of the way.
I'm in the process of preparing for my adventure. I leave Alaska in January to move to Australia for at least two years following God's call. I'm going to be living in Sydney and going to Hillsong College.
Ohh Hillsong College is amazing. It seriously changed my life!
You will be stretched beyond all measure but you'll get to know God like never before.
Which is the best part
Ok. Continental USA
Love it.
Hate it.
Convicting and painful and encouraing and hopeful.
I'm getting the impression (from comments, from others in my little world, from my own gut) that the call to DO is stifled almost always by our lack of clear vision (Prov 29:18?). So easy to forget it was in the moments I had only a basic (maybe even selfishly-motivated) dream simply stepped out into… that God stepped into ME in a new way. He might have 'killed' the work, or otherwise altered the trajectory of it, but… Life was FULL then.
Thanks for reminding me.
This cubicle needs to be empty.
Such a good post and so challenging.
For a while I've been doing the safe thing. Staying well within my comfort zone and just enjoying church etc.
But recently I made the decision to move out of my comfort zone aka Iceland, to move to Stockholm Sweden! And I'm so pumped about going there… and I'm fully trusting God that He'll do his thing which I don't doubt that He'll do. But it's also terrifying cause my Swedish isn't the best but I'm trusting God!
And seeing how you and Heather have trusted Him and just gone with it… inspiring!
I'm starting a new role at church in January (God willing and Baptist church vote not withstanding….) as Creative Director…will be cutting my hours at my day job so I can do this job…something I've always wanted to do (and have been doing in my "spare" time).
We've been "safe" for a long time…but we also never plan…we moved here 7 years ago to plant a church, jobs and three children have followed, and we took the decision to do it all on one salary so that my wife could be a mum full time…but the focus has always been on God and the church. If we were to move again, it would be for a church, not job.
Life is short, we are all called to do something, and the local church is the hope of the world. So go make a difference.
I spent MOST of my 20's surviving, my 30's dreaming and now my 40's I'm living. It is the hardest, most stretching thing to do. It's completely unsafe, but like I always say, and want to get a shirt that says it, "Safe is Overrated".
This week? I'm doing some creative writing. 1st step toward what I believe God has in store for us.
My wife and I were in an interesting conversation this morning, talking about what we wanted the second half of our lives to look like. Interesting timing, wot?
We have been putting off having another child for several years. Our first (and only) is seven. I'm a youth pastor with youth pastor pay. My wife works full-time so we can have insurance. We live in a two bedroom apartment. There are so many reasons why we shouldn't have another.
So, last week we threw caution to the wind (I'll be 36 in two weeks… I ain't getting any younger) and decided we are going to go for it. I'm tired of waiting and watching life go by.
Amazing call to action, los. Thank you!
What I want to know: how did you & Heather know that this is what God is calling you to?
I'm not asking as a challenge… no ulterior motive… I"m just genuinely interested in how God-following people discern his guidance.
I ask the question whenever I can b/c it's fascinating how God illuminates his will to different people. Because THAT is the crucial element of really knowing when to jump and when to stay, right?
For us it is different every time.
I think firstwe have to realize God has called us first to Himself.
I think that is the part most miss.
The second half is impossible without the first.
The second half has to do with vocation and seeking scripture.
A great book on this subject matter is called Courage and Calling.
This is a great post. There are plenty of things I would love to do…some you mentioned up in that list.
Thanks, Los.
Maybe it's because I'm sill in school, I dunno, but something is holding me back…maybe I don't feel ready, I don't know.
But I'm glad you wrote this.
I think the first thing I'll do is set up a website for my photography.
I don’t need people to respect me, but my situation is the opposite. I’ve actually hit a wall so hard and big that I am desperate to run back to safety and fix all of the mess in my own strength and reclaim my sanity and all of the sacrifices I’ve made in walking by faith and chasing after God given call and vision for my life. Baffling when the realization of vision and blessing is elusive, especially when it’s God’s plan and not your own. The acting foolishly in the world’s eyes and feeling crazy has grown old.
then THAT is the craziness for you. Press on!
I quit my job at a church in NYC to pursue going to Australia to serve a church plant.
I want to reach the homeless in a new way. Or at least in a way that no one would expect. I've started the ball somewhat but check'n this post out makes me want to kick it into high gear.
I also want to do graphics for multiple churches. Small churches/Church Plants. I've taken some steps with asking two church planters advice. One is Jay Hardwick http://www.awakencolumbia.com/ and the other is Matt Rogers http://www.renewalupstate.com/ I will continue to take more steps this week.
I want to reach the homeless in a new way. Or at least in a way that no one would expect. I've started the ball somewhat but check'n this post out makes me want to kick it into high gear.
I also want to do graphics for multiple churches. Small churches/Church Plants. I've taken some steps with asking two church planters advice. One is Jay Hardwick http://www.awakencolumbia.com/ and the other is Matt Rogers http://www.renewalupstate.com/ I will continue to take more steps this week.
One of the best posts I’ve read in a while. Great job of setting up the issue and leaning into it. Safety can be the enemy of life but many of us miss that because we’re far too BUSY trying to just get by.
I'm a ninja. i can only do what only i can do…sound familiar? i've risked it all for my dreams to serve God outside of the box of what we call a church…to help/support/and to connect concepts with community…for pay or for free i give it the same juice..either way…you and your friends,fans, and tweeps will be thirsty for more…
I the last two years. I've lost 50lbs, through hiked a national park. Climbed a mountain. Started investing less in me and more in others. Found a niche at church I love and a bunch of other stuff. Now I'm training for a half marathon and praying that God will continue to give me the courage to lead even though it means I'll make mistakes and not always have the answers.
You need to read this . . . holy cow . . . what are you afraid of . . really?
I’m actually writing my first Christian fiction novel. I’ve had a love of writing for years and stopped writing after high school because of the peer pressure. After that, I just had no confidence in my work and let that lack of confidence and fear stop me. Now I’m pushing on toward the end of this first novel even if it’s the biggest pile of crud ever to grace the page. I have to do this. I just can’t not do this. I don’t know if this is what God wants for me but I know that unless I do this I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.
I heeded God’s call rather than let it go to voicemail. We opened up our adoption profile to include birthmothers of all races. We decided to be genuine when we pray “on earth as it is in heaven”.
Dude, awesome post. Hubby and I took a business full time for three years. Crazy hard, crazy faith, crazy against all of our families safe plans. Hubs left police department to give self employment a shot. We home-schooled that year and said God has this planned. Little did we know that exactly one year after hubby quit our son would die. Our three year old little guy passed away. The worst day of our life happened while we were following His plan. He ordained that that 365 days we would all be together. We hung out for two more years healing, loving, growing and keeping our family together. Hubby went back to the police department and has bee so happy to be back. There is a time and place for everything.
He came so that we may have life, and live it abundantly. Right there with you, bro. Lost my job about 5 months ago, started serving in my community, and I haven't looked back. Went whitewater rafting, to Seattle and climbed a montain then jumped in a frezing cold lake, hand out bread in the hood, hang out at the bars, go to bible study at a skatepark, writing some music, and I started running. Life is good.
I love this post! I don't know what to do about my dreams because my beloved is a total Mr. Steady and he doesn't jump at anything without much thought and planning and reasoning. He's a good balance for me because without him I'd be chasing dreams all over the world. I pretty much start talking dreams and he starts talking reality. Hmmmm.