Early in his book, You Want Me to … WHAT?, Norm Grant tells the story of Mary Clarke, an otherwise happy and content woman, on her second marriage, with seven children, a family business, church work and a gnawing void in her soul. Too old, too busy, and with too many responsibilities to others, Clarke starts collecting supplies for Korean orphans. Which leads to an interest in social justice. And that to a passion for prison ministry. Her husband leaves, she sells the family home and business, and moves into a prison.
Of her Grant writes: “Her awareness of God’s call and willingness to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit even though it meant risking her own life and doing something that made no sense whatsoever is foundational to right here … right now moments. Her efforts have changed lives and impacted eternity. She’s making the world a better place by answering the cry for someone to do something.”
Out of university, Norm Grant became a successful real estate agent. He made a lot of money, conquered bigger and bigger challenges; became the youngest vice – president of the firm. He once doubled his income on one sale. A master of his universe, and yet he felt nothing.
A product of his times, he turned to self – help books. He read them by the handful. He decided to invest his money in a golf course. He meandered towards that goal; all the while another call was pulling him. “Looking back on it now, I realize that God was calling me and trying to get my attention. On the one hand, I was excited that something new was bursting out inside of me. On the other hand, I was terribly afraid that I would no longer be a somebody, and I knew that this was an important moment in my life … This was a right here … right now moment …”
Despite himself and his better efforts, Grant’s life moved towards the church. That story is too good to condense and you should experience it yourself in this short and wonderful book. But, I’m not giving away much by saying that Grant had to shed his self – crafted identity and had to start his life over again. Or to quote him halfway through the book when he hears God’s call with great clarity: “Ouch!”
The book is subtitled, Risking Life Change to Answer God’s Call. After his first seminary success—an exam—Grant admits, “a spiritual mentor of mine and I started to boast about all the sacrifices I was making to verify God’s potential call here to seminary.” To which he is properly chastised: “God doesn’t want your sacrifices. He wants more than that.”
In other words: You want me to WHAT?
This is a book of stories. Primarily Grant’s but with many others, all linked to scripture. It is filled with what Grant calls “right here … right now” moments. Life changing moments. So, read it; but read it with caution. If you have been denying that same emptiness in your soul, this is a book that can fill it with a sense of direction. So be warned; don’t be fooled by Grant’s easy voice and storytelling. This meditation on providence can really mess with you. It can give you greater confidence in that still quiet voice that has been calling you and which you have been denying for a long while.
You can read an article by Grant (and Patrick Voo) later in this issue. Here are two men within our church who have abandoned their own identities to seek God’s call. Our denomination is spiritually richer for them. But they are not necessarily richer financially for the calls they have answered. Both have served large congregations and both have forsaken a comfortable paycheque and pension to follow calls to reach beyond our church.
We need to walk with them; to understand their missions. We need to support these evangelists whose answer to the question, “You want me to What?” was, “Okay; I’m in Your hands.”
