I finished the book that was featured in my last blog post. It took me about 24 hours to complete the task. That wasn't 24 hours straight of course. Only Jack Bauer would do something like that. My guess is it took about six hours of reading time. Yes, I am a fast reader. It also says something about the quality of the book. I am not consumed by professional wrestling but there is still an interest there. Spending time with the family that is a Texas wrestling legend allows me a different view of those involved. Many people look at wrestlers as they probably once looked at carnival workers about 100 years ago. The hours I sat around the coffee table discussing life and death matters let me see behind the image they project.

Here I was in my mid 20s learning real theology from a family who knew the adulation of 1000s of people in the arena. I met kids as well as grand kids. One day the family patriarch even shot some video of me while on a visit. By the way, I never did ask if it is "real." There was no need for me to get physical proof in answer to that question! The view behind the image was more than enough for me to know how real life was for them. Though the public would see them as invincible in the ring, I knew they were all too human.

In the book, Mick Foley writes of his spiritual background. Now do not expect him to show up on religious television but he does have a religious side. He details how he made the move from the Catholic faith to being a Methodist. These chapters are intriguing for how God works in lives beyond our expectation. We say that we believe God is big enough to do anything. We often pray for God to do the extravagant in the lives of others. We may not agree with some of the excess of religious television but most of us do hope in a God who can do the incredible. But what happens when He really does the incredible?

I was truly convicted while reading Foley's pilgrimage about how God can be squeezed into a box. We want God to do wonders but we want Him to do it in a comfortable way. So this morning I had a long conversation with the Lord about that. Can we short circuit the faith process by our expectations? When God responded to people in scripture it often took them by surprise. God might answer their prayer but in ways beyond their anticipation. My prayer was to lay down expectations while still having that hope needed to make faith work. We should not be so amazed that God works through our praying. May we always have the excitement of how He makes things happen.

Bro. Trey