saving face ...

This morning as I was chasing lions, MB was reminding me how much we HATE looking foolish (pretty much didn't need THAT reminder!).  More than once in the past few weeks I've heard students and friends ask something or avoid something because they didn't want to appear stupid.  I've done it, too.  plenty.  Some mornings I throw caution to the wind and stand up and do what I know God has called me to even if I have a little (or a lot of) fear about what someone else will think... and some days I play "what if" ... what if I look stupid, what if they don't like me, what if I'm not good enough ... what if ...and you know what, that fear of looking foolish stops lion chasers dead in their tracks and makes them lion tamers ... people who like to stay on this side of "safe."

He went on to say that kids have this uninhibited, amazing creativity ... really, at genius levels.  Cool, huh??  But as we get older (like really fast ... like elementary school), that creativity drops dramatically because we are afraid of ... duh. duh. duhn ... looking stupid.  Been there.  Done that.  Do it.

Talked to a student today who might actually be leading worship for the first time ... because he got over his fear of looking foolish and I couldn't be more proud.  Last week we were talking about what he thought his shape might be and randomly, he put together some pieces that made him wonder if leading worship might be part of that.  He doesn't play an instrument (not that you have to) and he had plenty of excuses ... but he kind of had some dreams (not the literal kind) so I dared him (I know, awesome CM technique, huh?)  I dared him to send an email to the person who logically could help him act on this "dream" ... and you know what, HE DID.  And those two guys had dinner tonight to talk about leading worship.  And you know what, they were both excited about what God is doing.  I reminded my student today that if God was calling him to it that GOD would do it.  Lion chasers don't dream dreams they can fulfill on their own.

SO ... which will it be?  Saving face?  or saving GRACE???  I think I'll take the latter.