April Fools!

As a child I remember being excited to try little pranks on April Fool's Day.  For many years as a teacher, I would pull little tricks on my classes, but eventually the "fun" of that day sort of wore off.  There is one April Fool's Day, however, which is the most memorable one of my life.  It's the day we received our very first placement in foster care...April 1, 2004.  We had NO IDEA what we were doing.  All we knew was that for some reason, God had asked us to open our home to little people without a home.  It didn't make sense.  Some might even say it was foolish.  Nevertheless, that day, a case worker brought four blonde headed little boys into our home and our family would NEVER be the same.

 April Fool's Day, 2004

These four boys, while they only lived with us for a period of four months serve as an eternal reminder that the "wisdom of this world is foolishness to God" (I Cor. 3:19).  People asked us regularly if we were crazy.  The truth is, most likely YES.  We cannot help ourselves when it comes to saying "yes" to the Lord.  It doesn't always make sense according to our human reasoning, but somehow in God's mind, it is EXACTLY RIGHT.   After all, what kind of King lays in a manger and grows up as a pauper?  What kind of a King stands mute as He's ridiculed, beaten beyond recognition & even killed over nothing?  Certainly not any kind of king WE can think of!

God's plan is almost never something we can even imagine with our own feeble minds.  There are times, even, when it doesn't make sense in hindsight.  However, I seem to remember hearing/reading "somewhere" that faith is "being certain of what we do not see" (Heb. 11:1).   I believe God does not reveal His full plan to us up front because there are things about His plan which are too overwhelming and would frighten us away.  However, as we remain faithful and obedient, He gives us more and more glimpses of His plan, increases our faith and strengthens us more and more. 

So...on this April Fool's Day, I challenge you to be "foolish" for the Lord.  Open your heart up to WHATEVER He leads you to do, whether it makes "sense" or not.  Take a step.  Trust HIM!