At a recent conference Henson and I attended recently, one of the speakers was described as being a little off because he was totally sold out for Jesus and His chosen people, the Jews. He was first led to leave his pastorate and eventually to participate in a growing global movement to bring the Jews back to Israel. Since this isn’t a popular mainstream movement, he’d been viewed with suspicion and kept at arm’s length. Every time someone behaves differently, believes differently from mainstream society, he/she is always viewed as strange even when he/she is doing a mighty thing for God.
Anyway, the comment that he was a little off made Henson and I smile as it made us think of ourselves. No, Henson hasn’t left the pastorate to lead the Jews back to Israel – not at this point of our ministry walk that is. After all, never say never! But our lifestyle and beliefs are also not popular or mainstream. And while people have not actually called us weird or a little off to our faces, I am sure many have thought it. đ
Birthing naturally without epidurals and even homebirthing is now a growing and popular choice and so is exclusive/extended breastfeeding. But back in 1990s, not many mothers chose either. I had to look hard to find like-minded women who did it and then we became good friends who would compare the numerous negative and even rude comments we had received for our choices. But I guess that started my journey to being a little off.
Having babies every other year, except between the 3rd and 4th (they are 15 months apart), homeschooling them and doing it all without a live-in helper or family to help, I suppose really confirmed for most that we are indeed a little off. Henson has his own journey to being a little off – why would anyone leave a thriving business to step into full time ministry work with no regular income when one had 4 young children and a stay at home wife?!?!
It’s been a wild ride and it will only escalate as we move in a different direction for our ministry this year. Being a little off has some benefits – clinging a little closer and a little tighter to God. Since what we are doing isn’t mainstream, we have less role models to pattern ourselves after, forcing us to pray and seek God even more.
It is both scary and exciting to be a little off for the Lord. But we are taking our cue from the Lord’s instructions to Joshua as he led the newly formed nation of Israel across the Jordan River : to keep our eye on the Ark of the Covenant so “that (we) may know the way by which (we) must go, for (we) have not passed this way before.” Joshua 3:4b
* Please do not think that we are the only family living this way. There are other families who have similar family dynamics, even in Singapore. It is rare but they are around. Praise God!
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hi fellow “little-off-er”. thanks for this. i really loved the Joshua verse, great reminder for me. with God, we don’t backtrack! the view is always new, rather scary and .. this is why i dont bother with roller coasters.