That's Crazy

Last Friday, my good friend Heidi flew from Minneapolis to Bismarck to spend the day with me. While spending a couple of hours sipping some tea from Starbucks, we overhead a group of middle-aged women talking about belly button piercings. My eavesdropping skills weren't on target that day, so I have no clue why these women were discussing them. But after overhearing those three words - "belly button piercing" - Heidi and I joked about getting a belly button and nose piercing . . . Well, actually, we only half-joked. It would have been fun. And the rebellious girls that live inside both of us kind of wanted to go through with it. It definitely would have been a crazy move on our part.

Crazy: being out of the ordinary; to an extreme degree. (Thanks, Merriam-Webster.)

Flying nearly 500 miles for a 6-hour visit - yeah, that could be considered crazy. Getting a nose piercing or belly button piercing - yeah, that could also be considered crazy. But what about some of the things God called His people to do?

Think about it: the LORD told Hosea to marry a prostitute.

"When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, 'Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD." - Hosea 1:2

Marry a prostitute? Have children with her? What?! Do you think Hosea might have thought - or even told Him - "Lord, You're crazy!"? But there's more.

Think about it: the LORD told Ezekiel to lay on his left side for 390 days and on his right side for 40 days.

"As for you, lie down on your left side and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it . . .For I have assigned you a number of days corresponding to the years of their iniquity, 390 days; thus you shall bear the iniquity of the house of the Israel. When you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah; I have assigned it to you for 40 days, a day for each year." - Ezekiel 4:4-6

Lie on my left side for 390 days? And then my right side for 40 days? What?! Do you think Ezekiel might have thought - or even told Him - "Lord, You're crazy!"? But there's more.

Think about it: the LORD told Isaiah to walk around naked and barefoot for three years.

"At that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, 'Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet.' And he did so, going naked and barefoot. And the LORD said, "Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and token against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.'" - Isaiah 20:2-4

Naked? Barefoot? What?! Do you think Isaiah might have thought - or even told Him - "Lord, You're crazy!"?

Sometimes the LORD calls us to do crazy things. Things that are out of the ordinary. Things that seem to go to an extreme degree. Things that simply don't make sense to those around us. And yet, we aren't called to only do what He commands if they are within our understanding of "normal" - we're called to be obedient no matter the cost. Even if it means other's perceptions of us.

Did you notice that with each of those three Biblical examples, the LORD had a purpose? So too, the LORD has a purpose in the crazy thing or things He has called you to.

It might not make sense. You might tell the Lord He's crazy. You'll probably wonder why on earth He told you to it. Question - but be obedient. Know that the LORD always has a purpose. And always remember that He is with you on every step of the crazy path.