Confusing Road Signs

On the day my resignation from HorsePower would become public, I received a very interesting phone call. It was from the director of a Christian camp, just over the border into Iowa. He was wondering if I knew of anyone who could help run their summer horse camps. My mind was racing . . .  

Seriously, God? I thought you were asking me to give up the horse thing? But then, this was a Christian camp, we could pray and call on his name there . . .  

But God, the director isn’t asking me, he doesn’t even know I am leaving HorsePower. But God did . . .  

I thought I was supposed to start preaching the gospel with evidence? Oh, why was this man calling . . . and today, of all days?! 

It seemed like a pretty big coincidence, and I no longer believed in coincidences. Still, I threw out every name I could think of, besides my own, and then I finally said, “You know, I am actually resigning from HorsePower . . . ” He responded, “I think we should have a cup of coffee.”

Over our cup of coffee, we had a great visit about the camp, their horse program, what I had been up to. Then he took me on a tour of the grounds, which included the area set aside for the horse camp—beautiful rolling hills, covered with oak trees, an outdoor riding arena, a picnic shelter, fire pit, and these adorable covered wagons that served as the bunkhouses for the campers. If I was supposed to be moving on from the horse thing, the devil was certainly offering an attractive distraction. 

Our tour proceeded and when we finished up at the last building, we sat and visited in the car. The director looked at me and said, “Okay, I’m being pretty transparent here but maybe this is something that you should be thinking about. I am 68, soon to be 69. While I don’t want to retire, I need to be thinking about it. Considering your experience and your gifts, maybe that is something you might want to consider?” My head was spinning now. The horse thing was maybe a little tempting, but director of this whole big camp?! I was a scientist, for Pete’s sake! I could barely manage a $250,000 annual budget and this was more like $3 million. I politely told him I would pray about it, but in reality, I had pretty much already decided . . . no.

I left the camp and found a place to park at the base of the hill where I could sort of look over the entire grounds. I found myself praying, “God, what are we doing here? I thought you wanted me to pursue the evidence-based teaching, to help restore the authority of scripture, to help put a firm foundation under people’s faith? What is this whole horse camp thing? And the director thing?! I don’t know what you want me to do.” 

I pulled away and glanced at my phone, which I had silenced during our visit. There was a missed call. As I listened to the voicemail, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. There was a woman’s voice saying, “Hey Kaia! You might not remember me . . .   We met a long time ago at the creation conference? You loaned me some materials. We are moving and I just came across them. I was wondering if you might be needing them?” It was the gal that was my "chance" meeting in Kentucky—nearly ten years prior. Looked to me like God was saying we were going to be doing some creation ministry! I hung a right at this proverbial fork in the road, leaving that camp in the rearview mirror . . .  or so I thought.

 “I lift up my eyes to the mountains –

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Psalm 121:1-2 NIV

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

Psalm 32:8 NIV