“If the creator had a purpose in equipping us with a neck, He surely meant us to stick it out.” Arthur Koestler made this statement in reference to taking risks in life. Right about now, Gloria’s neck is sticking out.
It is 12:52AM on Saturday, June 23, 2007, and I am still awake. Unless I am at a prayer meeting, watching the NBA finals, with the Pistons in it, or watching the World Series with Boston Red Sox in it (shows you how often that happens). I am normally in bed by 10PM. Today, none of those things are happening. Today, Gloria, a close friend of mine is keeping me up because she is driving from Virginia (VA) to Connecticut (CT), with her three children to go see her parents.
You see, Gloria is from Haiti and her parents flew into CT from Haiti earlier this week because Gloria’s mother needs medical attention. Gloria is taking her three children to go see their grandmother who rarely visits the USA, unless for medical reasons, such as in this case. Gloria has never driven this distance before with her three children. She is afraid of driving alone, at night, being stuck in traffic and getting lost. As I write, she just called me to tell me that she missed her turn to get onto the New Jersey Turnpike. Her voice is cracking, “I am lost and I do not know what to do.” All I can say is, “keep driving, you will see a sign.” I have to be calm for her and not be nervous myself. I hear a sigh of relief from her voice because she tells me she sees a gas station. She stops and asks for directions-I can hear the man say, “Keep driving till you see route 3W. Make a left on 3W and it will lead you back to the Turnpike.” Thank you God! We hang up.
Almost an hour later, Gloria calls me to tell me that she is stuck in traffic as she enters New York. She is on the Upper Level of the George Washington Bridge. It is 1:08AM-Traffic at 1:08AM? Then again, it is NY. Her children, ages, 7 years, 3 years, and 8 months are sleeping, well, with the exception of little Jeremiah, the 7 year old, who is trying to keep mummy company. She still has at least another 2 hours left on her trip, depending on traffic. Her cell phone battery only has 2 bars left-no need to begin to say, “I wish I had a cell phone car charger” at this point.
What is my role on this journey-I am giving her the directions on how to get to CT because she is nervous doing it herself while she drives. I am riding with her on this journey to keep her calm, if possible. Through it all however, I am admiring my friend at how courageous she has been the last 8 hours on a journey she was nervous to take from the very beginning. Her neck is sticking out. She loves her mother and she wants her children to spend time with grandma. Even though she is afraid, she is still driving and her destination to CT is getting closer and closer-though it may not seem like it.
She is about to lose her mind, but when she gets to CT, the joy of seeing her parent’s face will be priceless-though right now they may be nervous for her until they see her and the children. She maybe second-guessing her decision about the entire trip, however, she took the first step earlier to get on this journey and drive-her neck is sticking out. What I see in Gloria is courage, strength, tenacity, desire, compassion, and passion covered up in fear. Regardless of these emotions, what is keeping her going is the will to see her mother and giving her children an opportunity to spend time with their grandmother. She has risked it all to see Mum.
As I ponder on these events, I begin to ask myself, what am I willing to stick my neck out for in reference to life and what God has called me to do? Am I afraid, nervous, but still on the journey? About to lose my mind, but still on the journey? Getting lost a few times, but still get back on the journey for the people I love? What am I willing to risk?
Let us consider a mother who was willing to stick her neck out for her daughter:
Just then, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not answer her at all…." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table. ”Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matthew 15:22-28 NRS)
She stuck out her neck, ignoring her status for the sake of her daughter. She turned to Jesus, but was turned down by the very man she needed help from? How bad did she want this for her daughter? She stayed on the journey until Jesus commended her actions at the end by healing her daughter.
What about Jesus? How did He stick out His neck? Hebrews 12: 1-3 gives us an idea:
“…Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God…”(NRS)
Jesus saw a redeemed people, but He had to be willing to go to the Cross, to be shamed and rejected in order to reconcile man back to God-Thank God He did.
Gloria could have given up on this journey, but she was willing to let her neck stick out. Talking about Gloria, she just called me. It is 2:21AM and she is about 61 miles further to seeing her parents. She is down to one bar on her cell phone. She cannot talk long…but she is excited. She just said to me, “I got it…I can do this.” As she hangs up, I say to myself, “You got it before you even started the journey-You stuck your neck out”
I am about to close my eyes for a few minutes until the next phone call. It is 3:36AM. Gloria just called. She made it to CT safely. I can hear her family in the background excited. We hang up. I am finally at peace. I can go to bed hoping to stick my neck out tomorrow for what God is calling me to do-Gloria just gave me extra motivation.
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