“What are you doing because of where you’re going and not because of where you’ve been?”
Recently I spoke with a thankful parent who shared with me how his son and his wife were getting their act together. Turns out his son’s wife had given birth to their first child and the introduction of that child into their lives had radically changed the way they saw life and saw each other.
I remember when that happened to me. I’ll never forget the first time I saw my firstborn child; I was not prepared for it. It radically and forever changed my life.
What I especially want you to notice about my experience of becoming a father is this:
“I was not prepared for it.”
That is okay to a point. But think about how your life would be if you choose to have life-altering experiences on purpose?
One of my nightmares is becoming calcified and set in my ways while life moves on leaving me an irrelevant relic of a bygone era. (Like the opening quote: Doing life because of where I’ve been instead of where I’m going.)
You know the type, the person who has defined a good life as never being made uncomfortable and challenged to get out of their comfort zone.
There’s a narrow bandwidth to what they will eat, where they go, the songs they will sing, and the people they will associate with.
Their mind is made up on what they think about most things in life, and they have no interest in those opinions being perfected or (heaven forbid) changed.
Bottom line, their experiences are pretty much the same everyday – predictable, comfortable, and calcified. Their goal is for life to meet them on their terms and if not, they have no interest.
But what if there were more to life than your comfort zone?
What if the best you were to be found in a place you’ve never been before?
What if your greatest contributions required you to do things, going places, and meeting people that are not in your current life experience?
Does that matter to you? Is it okay to not take God’s gift of life and experience it to the fullest? Is it okay to not be the best you that you can be? Are you okay with one day facing God and confessing that you choose comfort and control over taking the risks required to make the greatest contributions possible?
Yes, life happens whether we plan for it or not – and like the birth of a child – sometimes it can bring radical and life altering transformation.
But what I am asking you do to is to choose to make life happen on purpose?
One day Jesus was talking to his disciple, Simon Peter, about the way he was going to die. Jesus said, “…when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”
The ONE THING for today: Like Simon Peter, one way or the other, that day is going to come to all of us.
But today you have a choice. Don’t settle for a calcified and predictable life just because it’s comfortable and less challenging.
Live! Experience new things, new places, and new relationships – on purpose. You’ll be better for it and so will so many others.
The ONE THING 
35 years ago, next month, A gospel singer/evangelist came to Soul’s Arbor church in Lithia Springs, GA and preached a sermon about getting out of your ‘CIRCLE OF SAFETY”. Brother Dave Manley, had no idea when he stepped into the pulpit that morning, that Faye and I had walked together the Saturday evening before under the canopy of 50 foot tall Georgia Pines, and discussed doing just that, stepping out of our “CIRCLE OF SAFETY”, packing up our household belongings, putting in notices at work, closing bank accounts, settling a lease agreement on our house, and moving 1200 miles from metro Atlanta, GA to San Antonio, TX. No job, for either me or my eldest step son, and only $4000 to our name. Yet Faye and I had no doubt it was the Holy Spirit leading us. The biggest obstacle was getting approval through Interstate Compact to transfer my parole from Georgia to Texas. Texas was not accepting transfers at the time. However, my parole officer was a Christian, a Spirit Filled Christian, who believed in miracles and the power of prayer. As was, and did his boss. We had prayer meeting in his office that following Monday, and despite Texas not accepting transfers from other states, 2 days later we received the documents, signed off on by none other than the Democrat Governor of the state of Texas at that time, Ann Richards…I was accepted with immediate effect. We took the documents over to the parole office and we had a praise service in the front lobby. Two weeks later, notice completed with employers, we set out for South Texas. Two weeks after arrival in San Antonio, my step son and I both had jobs. A month later we signed a lease on a house. The next 4 years in San Antonio were a journey of faith. Worked on staff for two years at Cornerstone Church in the studios of Global Evangelism Television. Then three years as Senior Associate Pastor at World of Pentecost in San Antonio. The television budget when I arrived at WOP, was $0, we were on Free TV time, via the old Cable Access Community Broadcast rule. When I left 3 years later, they were on Inspirational Network, with a $1.1 million annual budget. In February 1996 our season in San Antonio had come to a close, we left for the Dallas metro area, arriving on a Sunday afternoon, planning on staying the night at a Motel 6 on the city’s north side. Instead the Holy Spirit led us to an independent motel off Hight 183 just down the street from the then home of the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Stadium. We picked up a Sunday edition of the Dallas Morning News, it was on paper back then, and started rummaging through the want ads. Found a promising one for a printing press operator, making double what I was in San Antonio. Feeling like we might be on to something I circled the ad and made a commitment to call at 8am the next morning. I sat down with the three owners and discussed my background in commercial printing, but not wanting to be guilty of failure to disclose my criminal record, I opened up and shared my testimony of how the Lord led us to Texas and eventually to the meeting in their office. I was hired on the spot, but not as a press operator. I was hired as the Plant Manager. Wow, now instead of making $5 per hour, I was making $45K per year. As Dr. Mark Rutland would put it, it was a Holy Spirit set up! All because a husband and a wife took a walk, heard the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit to step out of our “CIRCLE OF SAFETY”. You know, I have got to get my act together, and spend some time on this computer of mine and put all this down, chapter and verse. I just realized the details of which are too many to include here would fill a book. Take care my friend, I pray for you daily, I know you have a heavy load but I truly believe the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding you.
Eric Shelander
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Brother Shelander, that was an amazing and inspiring testimony!
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