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“You think of gatherings as meetings to go to, and trying to craft the perfect format that will guarantee results

that no meeting can guarantee. But you don’t see yet that Jesus is always gathering his flock to himself.

People from all over the world are finding their hunger for him eclipsing their hunger for anything else and

that every substitute they try only adds to their restlessness. As they keep their eye on him, not only do they

grow closer to him with each passing day, but they will find themselves alongside others who are headed

that way too. Geese fly together like that not because they are obligated to do so, but because it lightens their

load and lifts them closer to their goal.”

John turned his head skyward again and we joined him, now seeing at least four different flocks all heading

south. “And all of those flocks will end up in the same place, together. That’s all Jesus ever wanted—one

flock drawn to him alone, and each helping lighten the load of others they find going the same direction as

they are.

“That’s the gathering. It’s not when you meet, where you meet, or how you meet in meetings, but that you

are gathering your heart to him. If that’s happening, you usually won’t find yourself going it alone very long.

You’ll find others heading the same direction and by traveling together you’ll be able to help each other

along the way. That’s why you only hurt yourself when you look for people who want to meet a certain way

or think like you do about everything. Every person who crosses your path, be they believer or unbeliever, in

an institution like this or outside of it, is a potential partner in this journey. By loving each of them to the

degree that they allow, you’ll participate in his great gathering.

“But the goal remains the same. It’s him! It’s always him—not a style of meeting or a pre-planned program,

not a safe salary, or a predictable future.”

None of us said anything, though something clicked deep inside me. I knew what he was saying was far

more important than I could grasp at the moment. We sat in silent reflection as we watched the birds fade

into the horizon.

“I still don’t know what to do,” Bryce said, cracking a smile of feigned frustration.

“Yes you do,” John said, smirking back.

“I know,” Bryce shook his head, “follow him, every day! As scary as that sounds, there’s a real freedom in it,

isn’t there?”

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“That there is. And you’ll do that best when you can relax in his working. He’s not trying to make it difficult;

he wants you to experience the very kingdom itself. This is his joy he draws you to, not some tiresome duty

or empty promise.”

With that, John’s ride to Los Angeles pulled up in the parking lot. As he left, Bryce turned to me,

“I see why you like him so much, Jake.”

“I’ve not met anyone else like him.”

“Neither have I, Jake, neither have I.”

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- 13 -

The Final Parting

I saw his familiar form sitting on the bench where we had had our first conversation almost four years ago.

John had called me earlier today and asked if I could meet him around 6:00 p.m. at the park where this

whole journey began. Driving there I thought of all that John and I had been through over those years and

smiled, grateful for his wisdom and compassion. Our relationship had certainly changed during that time.

I had long since lost the desperate need to pepper him with questions and had come to simply enjoy his

friendship. But what a friendship it was! I came away from every encounter with John feeling as if my trust

in Father had grown tremendously.

I got out of my car stepping into a spring breeze that swept across my face bringing the sweet scent of citrus

blossoms from a nearby orchard. As I walked toward John he was in an animated conversation with a

young man who seemed to be in the middle of his workout. He continued to jog in place while they talked.

As I got closer they shook hands with a smile and the jogger continued on his run. John jumped up from the

bench to welcome me.

“Hi, Jake. Thanks for being free. I wanted to see you again before I left.”

We hugged. “Before you left? You’re always leaving.”

“Fair enough,” he smiled. “But not usually so far away.”

“Really? Where are you going?”

“I’m going overseas for while, to visit some people in Africa and I don’t think I’ll be back this way again. I

wanted to touch base with you one more time.”

My heart sank. I couldn’t imagine he wouldn’t be a permanent if infrequent fixture in my life. “I’m sorry to

hear that,” I said. “But my loss is certainly their gain. I’m sure they will be as blessed to know you as I have

been.”

“You didn’t always feel that way.”

It was easy to remember how frustrated John had made me in those early days. The more I listened to him

the more my life kept falling apart.

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“Well it wasn’t easy at the beginning. You really got me into trouble.”

“Oh, no I didn’t. I never told you to do one thing. I simply made some observations, asked some questions

and gave you some options. The choices were all yours.”

“I realize that, but they didn’t always turn out so well.”

“How could they? You had two desires that conflicted with each other.”

“What do you mean?”

“You had this incredible hunger to know God and follow him. But you also wanted to be circumstantially

secure and well-liked. Those just aren’t compatible with following him. We are safe because he is with us,

not because our circumstances are easy, and trying to get everyone to like you only made you less a person

than God made you to be. When you started following what God put in your heart, the other kingdom had

to collapse. It was inevitable if not enviable. It is never easy watching people go through it.”

“But those are good days to have behind me.”

“That they are, Jake!” John said with a chuckle

“I had no idea how real Jesus could be to me and my family. I had no idea how much of my thinking about

following him was backwards. I love the way things have sorted out. As painful as it all has been, I can truly

say this is the life my heart has always been searching for. Even my best days inside of religion left me feeling

a bit empty at times and always frustrated that I should be doing more and that God should too. I don’t have

that now. Even on tough days I am grateful for what God is sorting out in me so that I can live more freely in

him. There’s not a night now that I go to bed when Laurie and I are not grateful for how God is working in

us and the people he’s put us in touch with.”

“That’s wonderful. Contentment is one of the best gifts on this journey.”

“And yet it is more than that. Before I was so focused on what I wanted from God and how I could get him

to fulfill my desires. Now I just want to know him and let him change me so that his reflection can be seen

in me. It’s hard to explain. Before I tried to act like a Christian. Now, I find myself doing and saying things

that even surprise me. He’s changed me, John, and I can’t take any credit for it.”

“That is as it should be, Jake.”

“I am just sorry it took me so long to get this all sorted out.”

“Time isn’t Father’s focus, Jake. He enjoys setting things right in us, even if it does take a bit of time. What

you’ve learned now will never be stolen from you, no matter where God asks you to walk and whomever he

asks you to walk alongside.”

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“This life in Christ is everything Laurie and I had ever hoped for, and yet none of it fits in the packages where

we had always expected to find it. I had an incredible encounter yesterday, John, that leaves me in awe at

the ways in which God works.”

“What happened?”

“I had jury duty and I wasn’t even looking forward to it. While we waited in the assembly room I was

reading Time magazine. I was alone in a row of empty chairs when a young, beautiful woman walked up

and sat down in the chair right next to me. I had no idea what she wanted, but turned to greet her. She told

me her name was Nicole. After a bit of small talk about our jobs, families and frustrations with jury duty, I

had no sense where the conversation was going so I turned back to my magazine.

“The next thing I know, she grabbed my arm. As I turned to her she began to cry and told me she thought

her dad hated her. When I asked why, she told me about this horrible fight they had had the night before.

As the details spilled out, it seemed to me like she had misunderstood what her father was telling her. I

could hear words I had said to my own daughter and knew I hadn’t meant them the way she was taking

them. I suggested that she might be misunderstanding her father.

“I tried to help her look at it from her father’s perspective and she was surprised to think she might have

gotten it all wrong. ‘So you think my dad loves me?’ she asked. I told her I didn’t know him at all and only

she could answer that, but it was worth finding out. She told me she would stop at her Dad’s house after she

got out of jury duty to find out what he really meant.”

“That’s great,” John said.

“That’s not even the best part. A few minutes later she got called out for jury service. She gathered her things

and stood up to follow the others to her courtroom. As she said good-bye, on an impulse I reached up to put

my hand on hers and found myself asking her if she would answer a question for me. She nodded. ‘How

are things with your Heavenly Dad?’ I asked.

“You could tell she had no idea what I was talking about as her face twisted in confusion. Finally she asked if

I was talking about God. I told her I was. I’ll never forget her response as she almost snarled. ‘I grew up

with all that. I hate him.’

“I smiled at her and said, ‘Nicole, as wrong as you might be about your earthly dad, you are dead wrong

about your Heavenly Dad. You have a Father who loves you more than anyone on this planet ever has or ever

will.’ As her face lit up with wonder, she asked me if it could really be true, and if it was, what was she

supposed to do about it. She had to leave immediately so all I could say to her was, ‘If I were you, when I

walk out those doors, I’d ask God that if he is as loving as I just said he is, he would make himself known to

you.’ She assured me she would and left. I know God had his eye on her and it was fun to actually be part of

a conversation like that and have no regrets afterwards about the things I wish I would or wouldn’t have

said.”

“The more at peace we are with ourselves, the easier it is for God to use us to touch others. What a fabulous

story!”

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“And it’s not just me. There are so many others that are learning to live this journey with freedom and joy.

Do you remember the home group you met with that evening?”

“I do, and was going to ask you what had come of that?”

“I’m not sure how to answer that. We still get together though irregularly. It rarely looks like the meetings

we used to have. We’ve learned to live more as a family and give time to the people God brings into our

lives. My story with Nicole is just one of many that we are experiencing as God gives us away to others.

Laurie and I have just started meeting with a group of new believers on Tuesday nights who wanted us to

help them sort out their own relationship with God. They are some of the most enjoyable times we’ve ever

had.”

“And Bryce?”

“I don’t know how that will sort out yet. We’re still getting together and having some great conversations.

He’s still growing, but is caught between the reality of his heart and the expectations others put on him. It’s

creating a bit of a division between those who share his hunger and those who are threatened by them. The

next month or so will be crucial.”

“You’ll stay close to him?”

“Absolutely, though the road ahead won’t be easy regardless of what happens.”

“After all you’ve been through, I wouldn’t be surprised if you ran from a situation like this.”

“Part of me wants to. But there is no way I’d let him go through this alone.”

Just then we noticed a rising tide of voices beginning to spill into our conversation. We could sense the

temper of them before we could hear their content. They were tense and angry. We both looked up to see

nearly a dozen people headed our way carrying picnic coolers as their children were already scattering to

play in the park. They were headed for the picnic pavilion tucked in the trees behind the bench where John

and I were sitting. As they approached their words became clearer and we found ourselves caught in their

conversation.

“If I have to sit through one more church service I think I’ll die.”

“You and me both!” his friend responded.

“You’d better be careful with that kind of talk,” one of the women offered.

“Or what? Is lightning going to strike?”

“No, but it may get back to Pastor and then you’ll regret it.”

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“When I first came to this church it seemed so alive and I felt like people really cared about each other.