Blocked from Bithynia

It was a beautiful summer day in Texas. The fact that it was not over 100 degrees was the main reason it was beautiful! However, I was standing in the local bank's parking lot watching as 44 local young people ages 6-13 were in 10x10 booths selling items they had made and were selling at a children's business fair.

My wife and I had been the event organizers for three years running and our older children had all helped to make the event possible. It was rewarding watching these young people compete for hundreds of dollars in prizes while learning the thrill of creating a small business and selling their wares.

However, the Children's Business Fair was meant to be a showcase for our new school. We had spent years seeking and then being granted a license to open an Acton Academy. We had desired to find a way to blend a traditional school setting with learner driven lessons whereby "Learners" solved problems, tackled real world work as opposed to the more traditional preach / teach model of education.

In the process of opening our Acton studio, we spent hundreds of hours exploring learner driven education, faced having to re-launch because COVID ended our inaugural year. Then a week before opening again with eight families, six departed because they did not like our faith based approach.

God closed the doors in so many different ways on this endeavor. Our intentions were to spread the Gospel through learner driven education. However, the Lord did not bless our efforts and instead pushed us in another direction. 

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. Acts 16:7-8

On his mission to spread the Gospel, Paul was blocked by the Holy Spirit from entering the Bithynia.  Paul had a plan and his intentions were honorable; however, God had other plans for him.  

Paul was in tune with the Holy Spirit and thereby with God. He trusted that the Lord had a reason for him to by-pass Bithynia and that was good enough for him.

There are many Bithynia's in our lives. Places where we would like to go and serve the Lord. Places where we feel we are best suited to promote the Kingdom. However, who cares what we think? Have we run our plans past the Lord? Have we committed our plans to Him or are we blindly seeking what is best for our own ambitions?

There is an oft used phrase “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions”; and it is!  As a coach, I have to remember to take every element of our program to the Lord for his blessing.  Is what I am saying, teaching and exemplifying gratifying to the Lord?

Likewise, players should do the same because if we are going to succeed in any aspect of our lives (including athletic endeavors) we must ascertain as Paul did whether the road to Bithynia is open or closed.