Yesterday I was driving home and I found myself longing for the status quo. Being a counselor and working for a ministry means you may not have the same paycheck every week, and you never know what to expect from one day to the next. The work is so rewarding, but the unknown can take a toll. Part of me, for a moment, longed to be back in a world of cubicles. A place where I can predict what is going to happen each day, and don't expect any surprises. Now I know that being in that world would kill my soul. Still, if I am honest part of me doesn't want the adventure that I am experiencing now because it requires so much trust in God. Back in Exodus God's people struggled with the same thing. In chapter 14 they told Moses, "Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"(EX 14:12). After reading that I am thinking they want to go back to slavery? But then I remember how scary it can be having to trust God. See back in Egypt it was miserable, but it was predictable. They knew when the water girl would come by, and they probably knew how to avoid the slavemaster's whip. There was no guess work, and there was no risk. But in the desert following God's call there was plenty of risk. They had to get up each morning and depend on God to come through for water, food, and direction. Frankly, it is scary depending on something besides your own knowledge and abilities.
The status quo is a safe place for most of us. It promises no risk, but it also provides no life. Following God's call feels dangerous. It means you have to put your trust in Someone other than yourself, and that is more difficult than most of us Christians care to admit.
