Fingers Up!

I had a friend who was thrust into a pretty big career change. He was leaving a place that started well but had turned toxic over his tenure there. As he was trying to process the transition, he read a book about big life changes (whose name and author have unfortunately been forgotten), one of the chapter titles has stuck with me. The chapter was titled, “Leave with your fingers up!”

In our modern world, and as drivers in New Jersey, this probably conjures a fairly specific image. We all know the feeling of being hurt or disappointed and the desire that comes with it to bring everyone else into it or to lash out. However, what the author pointed out was that the fingers you have up are your thumbs. Walk out the door wishing everyone you leave behind well. Not everyone you leave behind is your enemy so there is no need to make them an enemy when you go.

As a church, we have this choice to make right now. We can leave a wake of hurt feelings behind us, or we can leave with our heads held high and our fingers up. We need, are owed, and seek nothing from the people of this world because we know that our strength and inheritance comes from God.

Paul in Ephesians 1:11-12 says, “11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.”

We don’t like that we must move. We, at one point, thought Pleasentview Dr. was going to be our long-term home. But it turns out, God had much bigger plans for us and that we were thinking too small. We don’t need to look back in disappointment. We can look forward in thankfulness for what God has already done. And we can look forward in excitement to all the things that God is going to do.

We pray a blessing on Living Word, and all the other churches that have given Restore a temporary home. We are so thankful for the time we had together, and we pray that God will use them to reach more people. 

Thumbs up!