Every Christian leader is going to have to fight a few battles along the way. You always hope you choose the right ones. I was once told by an older man that your battles will define who you become as a leader. The older I get, the more I can understand his reasoning.
During the past few weeks I seem to have lost more battles than I have won.
My losing streak began with a combined assault by my daughter's washing machine and a shelf in her laundry room. While visiting with the Ophi (plural of Ophus) in Chicago after the birth of little Jonathan, I was asked to look at the machine and see if I could fix it. I was told by my son-in-law that it had a tendency to "walk" during the spin cycle. "Marching to Zion" would have been a more accurate description! After spending several hours trying to find a possible solution and being sneakily attacked by the shelving more than once, I left the laundry room with several cuts on my bald head and the suggestion that they buy a different washer.
Defeated by low technology. There is no doubt it dealt a blow to my ego.
My losing streak continued as I battled to be a successful "single" male while Susan stayed in Chicago for an additional week helping Krista get going in her new ministry of motherhood. Many of you understand that, after thirty-some years of marriage, I have not been fully domesticated. I believe that cooking for myself means pouring milk on the cereal. Still, I was determined to do better this time alone than I have on other occasions when Susan has abandoned me to myself.
Truth be told, I did manage to cook a few simple meals. I actually thought the "Beany-Weenie Rancheros" had some potential. I believe my use of Ragu sauce was truly creative. Still, by the end of the week, our daughter Kari had to bail me out on several domestic chores to help get the house ready for Susan.
Obviously, there is more than one reason that I have enjoyed marriage for almost 34 years!
There is one battle we do not want to lose. Speaking to his disciple Timothy, Paul wrote, "Keep up the good fight for the faith" (1 Timothy 6:12, Williams New Testament). In this particular case, it seems the end not only justifies the means, it actually defines it. The battle becomes "good" because it is about the very essence of the message that Jesus came to give.
At this point in life I am pretty well resigned to continuing my losing streak with domesticity. However, I pray that I might have the courage and the resignation to continue on fighting that good fight for a wonderful faith.
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