Semper Gumby

Semper Gumby! I wish I had come up with that phrase! So fun! It is a hybrid of the Marine's phrase Semper Fi (always faithful) and a character from the 1950's named Gumby. Gumby is a claymation character who looks like this! He looks pretty flexible, doesn't he?!

I learned this phrase from a teacher at CIY one year when I was in high school. I wish I could remember his name. Regardless, the principles he taught me on leadership stuck - well at least the principle to remain flexible stuck. I like a plan, and I really dislike surprises; however, in life and leadership it is paramount to stay flexible. Have a plan, but don't be thrown out of kilter when the plan has to pivot.

The reminder of the need for flexibility was brought to my attention yesterday, as well, when I was challenged to allow Jesus to be in control of my schedule - even at work. Sometimes, I have a difficult time understanding how God is glorified in the work that I do as my "day job." I strive to show people Jesus, but I feel like it is a very loose connection of how my work directly benefits the work of Christ. I feel this tension often. Just after the conversation I had regarding allowing Jesus to rule my schedule, I had back to back meetings including one that popped up out of nowhere. I didn't get flustered, I went with it, and all the while I was thinking, "Okay, Lord, this is what is happening. How are you being glorified?" I also had the thought, "Is this really from You, Lord, or is the enemy creeping into my day and wreaking it?" Clearly, I have some work to do in this arena!

With me, one thought leads to another, so as I am writing this I think about how much better my life would be if I truly allowed the Spirit to lead me through each day. Just this morning I made my to do list. I know I have lots of meetings scheduled for next week. I have a to do list for today to accomplish in my personal work and chores. How do I allow Jesus and Holy Spirit to guide me through this day and next week in the schedule they want me to have? If I say yes to everything, then I am giving up my right to boundaries and protecting the mission God has given me. If I say no to everything, then I miss out opportunities that may be the door that God is asking me to walk through. So, what is the answer? In my mind, it is lots of PRAYER! Working from home has some advantages in that I can take a few minutes and pray (out loud) through the situation instead of plowing through. This isn't to say that I can't pray at the office, I can, but in an open office environment talking aloud with no physical person around may not be perceived as sane. I can, of course, pray in my mind, but sometimes it helps me to say the words out loud, especially when I'm frustrated.

I think this is an area, where God is really focusing in for me, right now. I am serving on the praise team this week, and one of the things we talked about at rehearsal is how we will work together as a team to lead the congregation in worship, AND we will allow the Spirit to lead us in worship. If the congregation is responsive and the Spirit is telling us to repeat something, then let's repeat it. We'll work together in tandem with Holy Spirit to lead. We have a plan. We know what verses, choruses, and bridges come after one another, but we are leaving space for the plan to change.

I want this same flexibility in my work day. I want to have a plan, be able to pivot when needed, but I want to know that Jesus is in it. I want to focus on Him more than ever and allow my day to be filled with conversations with Him. Jesus says in Matthew 11:27-28 that all things have been handed over to Him and for us to come to Him and He will give us rest. We carry so many burdens, wouldn't it be better for us to lay those at Jesus' feet. To go to Him when our plans are going sideways instead of attempting to fix it ourselves? To treat the day and the interruptions or changes of plan to be opportunities to serve Jesus in the re-direction?

I'm learning, and will continue to learn, I know. I'm committing in the next week to be even more mindful of Jesus accompanying me in my work day. A lot of my future career is up in the air right now. I don't fully know what my next step is, but I know that if I can be Semper Gumby, then I will leave more room for Jesus to be the director instead of me, and that I can have rest by going to Jesus instead of controlling it all myself. Likewise, even the tasks that I don't think really matter to Jesus, I can give them to Him anyway. He does care about those tasks. Just think about the disciples trying to fish and coming up empty handed, but when they followed the Lord's direction, they had more fish than they could pull into the boat! Funny thing is, they didn't realize who gave them the direction until they hauled in so many fish that they couldn't retrieve them. Read John 21 for the full story. Jesus is interested in every facet of our lives. It is our job to take those mundane tasks to Him and allow Him to be present in our every day.

Maybe you are great at this! I would love to know how you keep Jesus the center of even the most routine tasks. Drop me a line in the comments, on social media, or via email. Let's encourage one another as we walk this walk.

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