Donald Miller & David Crowder

I went to Willow Creek Community Church last night with some friends and fellow staff members from FVCC. We went because the David Crowder Band was leading worship and best-selling author, Donald Miller, was speaking (Blue Like Jazz; Searching for God Knows What; Through Painted Deserts; To Own a Dragon).

I've got to tell you... it is so refreshing as a pastor of a church to simply be another face in the crowd during a worship service. I didn't have to worry about people missing their cues. I didn't get anxious when the microphone didn't work (which happened last night; it was really encouraging to all of us pastors to know that happens to them too!). I didn't keep watching the clock wondering if we were going to end on time so we could get people out of this service and in for the next service.

I really appreciated Donald Miller's words last night. Using the story of Joseph, he walked through the elements of a great story - a great protagonist; negative turns in the form of pain, suffering, struggle, and rejection; positive turns in the form of healing, redemption, and acceptance; and a great ending (and it doesn't have to be a positive ending - think Friday Night Lights).

He challenged us to embrace the negative turns in our story...to understand that the challenges and struggles we go through only add to the greatness of our story. As a follower of Christ, we already know the ending of our story. As a result, we have the freedom to embrace the positive and negative turns life throws our way.

One of my favorite illustrations he used last night was from his experience hiking to the great Incan city, Machu Picchu, in Peru. The hike to this UNESCO World Heritage Site takes 3-4 days, covers 26 miles, and crosses three mountain passes. About three miles into the hike, the guide stopped at a fork in the trail.

He stated that if they were to take the trail to the right, they would arrive in Machu Picchu in about six hours. If they took the trail to the left, they would arrive in the city in three days after hiking another 23+ miles. He told them that the Incas only allowed individuals bringing goods into Machu Picchu to take the trail to the right. Everyone else had to take the longer and more challenging trail to the left. The goal was that by experiencing the more arduous journey of the longer trail, the citizens would appreciate the city - the destination - even more.

After hiking the trail to the left and arriving in the city three days later, Miller shared that his appreciation for the city was exponentially deeper than the tourists who took the bus to the famed city. In the same way, we will one day look back on our lives and appreciate the struggles and challenges we experienced because they helped us grow in our faith.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)