We cannot fish for only those lives we think have worth.
We spread your net of gospel across the water’s face,
Our boat a common shelter for all found by Your grace.
---Sylvia Dunstan, 1991
Tell a good enough story, you never know who might show up!
Picture this. You’ve got this great product, and you want to
get the word out. But. You want to practice a little targeted-demographic
marketing. You only want to attract a certain kind of clientele. So you shape
your message, subliminally almost, choose your media carefully, vet your
messengers---all in the hope of building the kind of customer base you have in
mind. Great plan.
But something goes awry. Maybe there are leaks in your
marketing. Maybe your media shifts at the last minute. But the story gets
out---wide. And people have been waiting
for this. The---crowd---goes---wild! Everybody wants in on what you are offering. That exclusive demographic?
Fugeddaboudit. You have just lost
your grip on your brand.
Sometimes good news is like that. It goes where it wants, not where we plan. Thank God. Because, friends, our plans are never as grand as
God’s. Our vision is never as long as God’s. And our reach is never as broad as
God’s. So, although letting go of the marketing plan can be a little scary (‘The
Spirit is on the loose!’ says a friend of mine gleefully, only half-joking), trusting God’s story to do its work in the world
and welcoming all who come is a pretty good plan all on its own!
Let’s see who shows up!
---Leigh Anne
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