{"id":351,"date":"2009-03-12T19:51:55","date_gmt":"2009-03-13T01:51:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/one-church.net\/wordpress\/?p=351"},"modified":"2009-03-12T19:51:55","modified_gmt":"2009-03-13T01:51:55","slug":"bucket-theology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.crosseyedlife.com\/index.php\/2009\/03\/12\/bucket-theology\/","title":{"rendered":"Bucket Theology"},"content":{"rendered":"

So what are you afraid of?<\/span><\/p>\n

Financial issues, health concerns, family matters, ending opening sentences with prepositions\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

The only people who really have anything to worry about as it relates to their fears are the ones who say they aren\u2019t afraid of anything. Take it from me, I\u2019m an expert in fear as one who is afraid of a multitude of things (not a positive, of course, just a statement of fact)\u2026 everyone is afraid of something.<\/span><\/p>\n

The problem is our fears tend to camouflage themselves. We see the obvious ones:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7 “I\u2019m afraid of dogs” \u2013 Well, you were probably bitten as a child<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7 “I\u2019m afraid of getting pulled over by the police” \u2013 Well, slow down genius<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7 “I\u2019m afraid of tornados” \u2013 Well, you\u2019re not an idiot<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7 “I\u2019m afraid of those creepy sounds downstairs in my house at night” \u2013 Well\u2026 Well, actually, I agree. Do you mind going down to check? Thanks.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The obvious fears we get. They are easy to spot, label and either accept or deny. The problem is many leaders are leaders because they have learned to wrestle these obvious fears to the ground and knock\u2019em out with the classic sleeper hold!<\/span><\/p>\n

They rise from the mat victoriously standing over their fears as they smugly announce, “Can\u2019t touch this.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Problem is you didn\u2019t realize this was a tag team match. The obvious fears that were so easy to takeout are backed up by a stealthy, super buff powerhouse of a partner called unrealized fears.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, just like any professional wrestler\u2026 they cheat.<\/span><\/p>\n

They have already crawled up on the top rope and have launched into a swinging, superfly, death drop rolling atomic leg drop guaranteed cage match stopper (dude\u2026 maybe I should cut out the testosterone TV for a while).<\/span><\/p>\n

So what are these unrealized fears? Since it\u2019s so easy to spot regular fears, it may take some time to recalibrate yourself to identify these unrealized fears in you, but here are some classic examples:<\/span><\/p>\n

Some are afraid to succeed \u2013 afraid of the consequences of what might actually happen if we get where we\u2019re going. If we actually succeeded they might put us in charge and we\u2019d have to lead, be responsible and be held accountable We move in the direction of success, but often hesitate, slow our pace, alter course or even stop short for fear of actually succeeding.. Oh, we\u2019d never say those words out loud, but that\u2019s what it is\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Some are afraid shine \u2013 afraid to stand out because the value of team and companionship has been ingrained to us. We may have been burnt by others and their pride\/ego, and inwardly we are scarred and worried that we could become that same monster, so, we don\u2019t even give ourselves enough leash to get into that spotlight\u2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some are afraid to finish \u2013 afraid to find out what might come next. We have become so comfortable with the status quo we have decided to perpetually exist where we are even if it means we never get anywhere else. Like terminal students, always pursuing a degree and never entering a career\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Some are afraid to be \u2018in the box\u2019 \u2013 afraid to do what works, we feel the need to be novel, unique, original and constantly reinvent the wheel. As if God and the world are waiting for us to come up with something the world has never seen before, we refuse to do what obviously works for fear that someone might think it\u2019s not a completely original thought\u2026.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The list is endless. Unrealized fears come in all shapes and sizes and have clotheslined many a leader bringing them to the mat for a stunned 3 count.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, once again, I ask a question ending in a preposition: what are you afraid of?<\/span><\/p>\n

Sure there are obvious things, but what are the unrealized fears that lurk in the shadows that you didn\u2019t even know were fears until you took this moment to look them square in the face?<\/span><\/p>\n

I just spent the last week with my family on vacation at the Great Wolf Lodge <\/span><\/a>in Kansas City, Ks.<\/span><\/p>\n

For those of you who don\u2019t know, this is a little kid paradise. It\u2019s a wolf den themed hotel with a huge indoor water park. It has four stories of a water playland, several pools and 5 uber cool slides.<\/span><\/p>\n

On day one I had to spend about 15 minutes convincing my oldest that the slides were not death traps and that if he did not try them he would regret it, the rest of his week would not be as fun as it should be, his younger brother would make him look like a wussy, the other kids would secretly laugh at him, he\u2019d probably never marry a cool girl, the college of his choice would never accept him and the Second Coming of Jesus may be delayed.<\/span><\/p>\n

After this gentle nudging\u2026 he tried a slide\u2026 loved it and we could not stop him. He owned that water park after that. <\/span><\/p>\n

I could not have been more proud.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was later while I was sitting in the hot tub with my wife watching the boys play when I was struck by something. One of the water features at this park is a huge bucket.<\/span><\/p>\n

Huge is an understatement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Every 5 minutes it dumps 1,000 gallons of water from 4 stories down onto the floor below. I watched it wash kids off their feet. I heard adults talk about how bad it hurt to be pelted by the water. I witnessed smiling children enter and saw crying children retreat. I saw dads drag toddlers kicking and screaming under the flow (parent\u2019s of the year, let me tell you!).<\/span><\/p>\n

As I sat there in the hot tub I remember shaking my head thinking\u2026 idiots. Until, I saw my kids playing there.\"Fort<\/span><\/p>\n

WHAT!<\/span><\/p>\n

My boy who wouldn\u2019t slide down the slide yesterday is now standing under a 1,000 gallon bucket and taking a water whipping\u2026 by choice. And, he\u2019s coming out smiling. <\/span><\/p>\n

He\u2019s gone insane!<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s when it hit me. I wasn\u2019t afraid of the slides, but I was afraid of the big bucket. <\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, I didn\u2019t have time to explain the psychological underpinnings of unrealized fears to my 10 year old and ask for a pep talk \u2018back at ya\u2019 since he owed me one, so, I just had to suck it up.<\/span><\/p>\n

I pulled myself out of the hot tub, walked to the center of the floor and stood there on the cold concrete staring up at the bucket. I\u2019d heard it a hundred times before, the alarm started to ring signifying the great dump was at hand and the bucket started to tip.<\/span><\/p>\n

My heart began to race, I wanted to run, duck, at least close my eyes\u2026 not this time! Here it comes\u2026 1,000 gallons of cold water from four stories up came crashing down.<\/span><\/p>\n

BOOM! It hit like a brick, the water stung every inch of my body, and I was in just a little shock from the cold and the force of it all. <\/span><\/p>\n

It was even more than I had expected, but it was awesome! <\/span><\/p>\n

I yelled out, “YEEEEESSSS”<\/span><\/p>\n

So did the four year old girl next to me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what Scripture says,<\/span><\/p>\n

\ufeff17\ufeff “The poor and needy search for water, <\/span>but there is none; <\/span>their tongues are parched with thirst. <\/span>But I the Lord will answer them; <\/span>I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. <\/span>\ufeff18\ufeff I will make rivers flow on barren heights, <\/span>and springs within the valleys. <\/span>I will turn the desert into pools of water, <\/span>and the parched ground into springs. <\/span>\ufeffThe Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Is 41:17-18). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

God is willing to pour out His blessings, His flow into and onto our lives, ministries and world. Far too often our unrealized fears keep us just out of frame, on the shoreline, within spitting distance of the blessable zone, but not under the flow.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019re in the hot tub, when we should be under the bucket. <\/span><\/p>\n

What does that mean? Seek out and find your unrealized fears, then face them head on like you do all the obvious points of fear in your life. Dealing with unrealized fears is usually handled best simply by realizing them.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019re afraid of things we didn\u2019t know we could be afraid of, and it\u2019s time we stopped. It\u2019s time we stepped out of the comfortable and into the path of blessing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let it pound us, sweep us off our feet, sting us, scare us to death. Stand there, take it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Put yourself in the path, the flow of God\u2019s doing and blessing. Don\u2019t be afraid.<\/span><\/p>\n

Back at the Great Wolf Lodge, I stayed under the bucket a few more times. I learned to love it. I learned to laugh. I stood there with my family.<\/span><\/p>\n

I want to go back. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So what are you afraid of?<\/p>\n

Financial issues, health concerns, family matters, ending opening sentences with prepositions\u2026<\/p>\n

The only people who really have anything to worry about as it relates to their fears are the ones who say they aren\u2019t afraid of anything. Take it from me, I\u2019m an expert in fear as one who is afraid of a multitude of things (not a positive, of course, just a statement of fact)\u2026 everyone is afraid of something.<\/p>\n

The problem is our fears tend to camouflage themselves. We see the obvious ones:<\/p>\n

\u00b7 “I\u2019m afraid of dogs” \u2013 Well, you were probably bitten as a child<\/p>\n

\u00b7 “I\u2019m afraid of getting pulled over by the police” \u2013 Well, slow down genius<\/p>\n

\u00b7 “I\u2019m afraid of tornados” \u2013 Well, you\u2019re not an idiot<\/p>\n

\u00b7 “I\u2019m afraid of those creepy sounds downstairs in my house at night” \u2013 Well\u2026 Well, actually, I agree. Do you mind going down to check? Thanks.<\/p>\n

The obvious fears we get. They are easy to spot, label and either accept or deny. The problem is many leaders are leaders because they have learned to wrestle these obvious fears to the ground and knock\u2019em out with the classic sleeper hold!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[15,23,28,29,33,47,65,78],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.crosseyedlife.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.crosseyedlife.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.crosseyedlife.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.crosseyedlife.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.crosseyedlife.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=351"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.crosseyedlife.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.crosseyedlife.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.crosseyedlife.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.crosseyedlife.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}