Upside Down

Glen Tullman, the President of CCC Information Services, wrote these words...

Everyday the world turns upside down on someone who thought they were sitting on top of it

We have seen it over the last several days as the Democratic Convention has unfolded. In all likelihood we will see it when the Republicans meet in the Twin Cities.

We have learned another example of it today in the selection of the Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States. I am sure there are those who already had their bags packed for future stardom and accolades. This afteroon their world has been turned upside down.

We have seen it in our communities...in our workplace and in our families.

Anticipation and expectation are dashed when what we thought would happen is turned upside down by circumstances beyond our control.

On a Sunday morning nearly thirty years ago I was sitting in a worship service in a prominent church in Kansas City. (writing that sentence makes me laugh...every church that is committed to seriously following Christ is a "prominent" church....but BITD 'back in the day' churches were categorized as "flagship," "prominent, "struggling," etc....)

Back to the worship service....

The pastor made a comment that I have never forgotten....

The best way not to get knocked off your pedestal

is to never get up on it...

Sometimes people put us on pedestals....

"Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. Matthew 23:8

Sometimes circumstances and situations knock us off our "pedestals of presupposition." It is in those moments that we begin to discover who we are and who He is.

I am learning both. So if you are on top of the world....great! If you world has turned upside down....I'm sorry! What matters in these moments is the fact that He has called us to be "fully present" in this moment....and to learn.