The Bailey Brag

I’ve been working on this blog post in my head for several days (10 to be exact) and now realize that I am not going to get everything in that I want to say on this topic in just one post so I am vowing that this is the first in a series of posts on this topic so be sure to stay tuned.

On New Year’s Eve we received an email invitation from our good friends, the Harpers, to go out to the lake on New Year’s Day to plunge into the icy cold water. We are not the first people to do this, of course. If you google ‘Polar Bear Plunge” you’ll get hundreds of articles and photos of people doing this around the world although the significance of ours is likely a bit different than theirs. Check out our plunge…

The big question is: “What is God asking of you?” Is he asking you to do something big and you are hesitating or taking a much easier way around a situation simply because whatever it is would be a bit more uncomfortable than you prefer? Do you think God wants us to have a comfortable and normal life? I just finished a book called Red Letters: Living a Faith that Bleeds written by Tom Davis. It should be near the top of every Christian’s reading list this year. For the last 34 years I have thought that being a Christian meant that I believed in God and needed to share His love with everyone I know and try to be the best person I can be. Well I know that isn’t enough. When Jesus was on this earth he resided amongst the poor, the lepers, the sick and the hurt. He wasn’t treated like royalty only hanging out with the rich and the famous. What he wants for all of His followers is the same. If we aren’t looking for Jesus in the eyes of the poor and the hopeless every single day then we aren’t doing what He is asking of us. When I meet my Creator one day He will ask me what I did for the least of these and I am making sure I have plenty to say in response.

So back to the plunge. Why did we all jump into freezing cold water on January 1, 2011? Let me start by saying that about 5 families showed up so we are not the only crazy ones out there.

And it is no coincidence that every family that came out has adopted, is in the process of adopting or is being called to adopt in the very near future. God is calling many of His people to join Him in finding the least of these and bringing them home, including us. God doesn’t often call people to do His work out in a very safe and comfortable place where life is perfect and we have no need to trust Him and have faith. He calls us into dark, cold places where it is necessary that we rely on Him for provisions, for safety, for health. My sweet friend Andi said it best when she said this:  Many times He calls us into deep, cold water and at times it is uncomfortable and out of our “warmth” or comfort zone. As we welcome a new year and the adventure that it holds for each of our families, we thought that this experience could be a great way to embrace and acknowledge that God wants us to join Him and be his hands and feet on earth even if it gets a bit uncomfortable. Matthew 14 tells the story of Peter being given the opportunity to get out of the boat and walk to Jesus on the water. Peter, against all logic and reason, jumped out and started walking. The rest of the disciples stayed in the boat and watched.  Our role as believers while we are here on earth is not to sit in the boat and watch, but to get out of the boat even if it makes no sense at all. (running into 40 degree water for no reason!)

So as you can see in my video, we did. We “plunged” into the water fearlessly as a symbol of what we are all committing to in 2011….getting uncomfortable for Jesus. Some of us needed a wee bit of help (I won’t give up his name but he is 10 years old and shares a name with a college in Pennsylvania). I love that our big guy had some fear about the situation and when his earthly father learned of it he decided to carry him out into the water to help him out a little as well as carrying him back out. Our heavenly father carries us all too often when we should be walking on our own but I am forever grateful for Him doing so for me.

We simply cannot wait to see what He has in store for us this year! Happy New Year to you all!!