Serving God in the Hallway

Over the last few years I’ve developed a tradition of sorts in which I watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy at the closing of each academic semester as I work to finish up final assignments and prepare for exams.  One of my favorite lines from Tolkien’s infamous writings is a word of wisdom from Bilbo Baggins: 

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

A dangerous business….When it comes to following Christ, we associate danger and risk with leaving; going from the known and comfortable to the unknown. We are often guilty of loving the Lord, but still wanting control of our lives.  We hope and pray that God won’t call us to hard things; to leave our families, our homes, our comforts-to do what we consider a dangerous, risky business. 

We fear the unknown. But culturally speaking, risks are associated with adventure, excitement, and adrenaline. We seek out risks and are willing to financially invest in “risky” activities such as skydiving, whitewater rafting, racing….there’s a pride and honor that comes within the territories of risk.  

We live in a society that constantly tells us to chase the latest and greatest, to change ourselves along with the seasons. To always be on the lookout for the next opportunity.  What if the riskier thing to do for God is to keep doing exactly what we’re doing for the time being?

It is so easy to get bogged down in day to day life.  Going to school, walking the dogs, preparing dinner, driving the kids to their activities… maybe God’s overarching desire is for us to stand firm.  To be present.

Missionary and martyr Jim Elliot once said “Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God!”. 

If we are living out God’s will for our lives, who are we to determine if it is mundane?  Maybe we should be allowing our feet to sink in a while and keep at the hard, dirty, messy work in which we’re involved.  I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “When God shuts one door He opens another”, well maybe the second door has not opened yet.  Perhaps for right now the riskier option is to praise and serve God in the hallway; in the waiting.  

May we stand firm and embrace the mundane risks of the present.