If
you could travel anywhere in the world (money being no problem),
where would you go? (Serendipity Bible 10th
Anniversary Edition, page 1373).
Look
around. The space where we are standing, sitting, is an incubator
for greatness. God can do wonderful things right here, in this
place, if we take the risk. If we allow him to, and then if we move.
(The President's Devotional by Joshua Dubois, January 1).
I
am seldom enticed to leave my hometown. I don't in any way think of
this as being inhibited, provincial, or narrow. The Lord has blessed
me with challenges and opportunities aplenty right here, right now.
My greatest concern would be if I felt I lived in the doldrums—a
place devoid of interests. For then I would neglect my hometown for
fantasies of exquisite cruises of adventure—somewhere far off,
far..far off. I remember well a cartoon (perhaps by Jules Feiffer) I
once saw as an undergraduate. It showed a young man dreaming of
doing great things in far off lands. He was obviously a student and
was fantasizing while sitting at a desk with his books spread out
before him. He told the Lord he was primed for adventure in any
distant land. His eager yearning was palpable. Whereupon God boomed down from
Heaven directing him to get down to his studies. I have
several times referenced the play Candide. There is much
truth there in my opinion. The youths desire far-off adventure while
some hometown adults counter that, why, here and now they live in
total perfection. Of course, the play shows that both views are
faulty. We are to do our best where we are in an imperfect world. I
love the Scripture verse that says: “If you are faithful in little
things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest
in little things, you won’t be honest with greater
responsibilities” (Luke 16:10 NLT). This only goes to show that
there are no “little things” no “backwater towns”. We are
called to duty, not to empty headed fantasizing. God calls for
vision and engagement, not escapism.
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