A diplomat

As I sit here figuring out how to put into words some of the things that I am learning, Joshua (my middle son) is laughing at the movie they are watching. That has to be one of my favorite sounds. He has one of those laughs that you can just tell how much he is enjoying himself. It is a loud, contagious laugh that just makes me smile to hear. One of those things that make a parent forget the frustrations that sometimes come with being a parent. Awesome sound that I hope I never quit hearing.

"Without warning, light was shining in the darkness. And it was blinding. Confusing. Threatening. Unnerving. As a diplomat, Nicodemus, was prepared to be, well, diplomatic. As a diplomat, you slowly ramp up to the real issues. The important issues. But Jesus, in his entirely undiplomatic fashion, went straight to the heart of the matter." (Andy Stanley's "The Grace of God") Sounds about right. Take it, turn it upside down, do the unexpected, and go right to the real issues. I've experienced it. Jesus doesn't follow our set rules for him. He isn't the diplomat who leaves you wondering what he is getting at. He goes straight to the heart. It catches us off guard because, well, it is so unlike what we usually experience. We tap dance around what needs to be said. We don't want to offend so we avoid shining the light on sin.

I am so blessed to have friends surrounding me who follow Jesus lead. Shortly after reading the above section about Nicodemus from Andy Stanley's book today, I had one of those encounters. A friend willing to risk realness and shine a light on my darkness. I was told I was missing humility in serving. I needed to serve my wife with humility, not out of pride. Unnerving - check. Right - check. Things turned upside down - check. Sounds like I encountered Jesus through my friend's words today. Funny how Jesus doesn't fit into the neat, little boxes we want to place him in. He goes straight to the heart of the matter. Wonder how many times I have been diplomatic, when I should have been loving? Are you willing to risk it? Are you willing to live a life in the unexpected? Willing to love and show grace when that doesn't make sense? Willing to serve with humility? Willing to be entirely undiplomatic and talk about the real issues? It may be a little unnerving, but man, what a refreshing way to live! So what are you going to choose to do? That is the real question. Sorry if it isn't very diplomatic.