Holy Spirit or a Hare-brained Scheme?

Back in college, my friend Jeff made a list of what he called my “hare-brained schemes” (meaning: wild ideas I’ve tried):

• Panning for gold
• Starting a surf-wear manufacturing company
• Flying to Orcas Island in a small Cessna for a prom date
• Driving down the West Coast with a friend, a tent, and $100 to see what was there
• Using a sheet pan as the floor of my rusted out VW bug

Creativity and perhaps watching too many Wile E. Coyote cartoons? Pretty safe to say these were hare-brained schemes.

After college the ideas continued, becoming larger and of greater consequence, but also more Spirit-influenced:

• Married Lori
• Joined a mission to minister in Japan
• Relocated five families to rural Yamagata to start new churches
• Moved to Indonesia knowing no one and with no organizational connections
• Launched a 60-hour professional coaching training in Thailand

We felt the Holy Spirit’s direction in these plans. And saw miraculous moments peppered in their formation. 

Discernment isn’t always straightforward though. Hebrews 11:1 reminds us, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” And at the same time, it’s easy to convince ourselves we’re right, when we want to do something.  This is what makes coaching such a fantastic discernment tool. By listening and asking probing questions, you can help a person to reflect more deeply and to connect to what God may be saying to them.

We can be so worried about “Is it God’s idea or mine?” that we’re afraid to put a foot wrong and won’t dream and move forward toward anything. 

Occasionally, I’ve had a “voice from a cloud” moment of clarity that it’s God. More often, though, it feels that He responds to my questions of specific direction with, “It’s up to you. I can use it either way.” 

What ideas are you considering?