{"id":41760,"date":"2025-04-18T17:50:22","date_gmt":"2025-04-19T00:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=41760"},"modified":"2025-04-18T17:50:22","modified_gmt":"2025-04-19T00:50:22","slug":"a-shooting-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/a-shooting-star\/","title":{"rendered":"A Shooting Star!"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was about to turn 30 years old. I planned a four-day, three-night whitewater rafting trip over in California, the American River, inviting about 60 of my church members, youth, young adults, and their families. Somehow, I was able to find a spot right next to the river, with a mountain rising on the other side. It was just our group\u2014no one else around.<\/p>\n

On Monday, we rafted on smaller waves. On Tuesday, we had a blast hosting an Olympic games tournament among our youth. On Wednesday, we experienced a high-level whitewater rafting adventure. On Thursday, we packed up and drove back home. It was an amazing experience with my youth group that I\u2019ll never forget.<\/p>\n

While on this trip, I was very aware that I was about to turn 30. The older I get, the less I care about having big birthday celebrations. But knowing that Jesus was around 30 when He began His ministry made me want to slow down and think about where my life was going. Instead of doing what everyone else does, like throwing a party, I wanted a quiet space with God to reflect on my future. Shane Parrish talks about the \u201csocial default\u201d \u2014 where everyone thinks alike and no one thinks very much \u2014 and I didn\u2019t want that to define my life anymore\u00b9.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Clear Thinking<\/em>, Parrish explains that we all have defaults that mess with our thinking: emotion, ego, social, and inertia. To overcome them, we need self-accountability, self-knowledge, self-control, and self-confidence\u00b2. As I look back, I realize life\u2019s tough seasons built these strengths in me. I didn\u2019t gain clear judgment by accident \u2014 it came through challenges that forced me to step up and grow. Just like rafting through rough waters, my faith and character were shaped by the battles, not the easy parts.<\/p>\n

Instead of using a regular tent, I had a bivy tent \u2014 just the size of my body, lying flat on the ground. What I love about it is that I can lie down and look straight up at the open sky! On the last night of my 29th year, I lay there staring at a sky full of stars. Because we were at a higher elevation, the stars looked even clearer and brighter. It reminded me of something Parrish says \u2014 that ordinary moments are what actually shape your future\u00b3. This moment felt so simple, but it was turning into something sacred between me and God.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In front of me, two trees framed my view \u2014 one on the left, one on the right \u2014 creating a perfect window to the stars. All of a sudden, shooting stars started appearing, one after another! It was so special that I started praying, thanking God for my life, my health, my youth group, and for the chance to experience beauty even through life\u2019s toughest moments.<\/p>\n

One thing Parrish said really hit me: mistakes give us a choice, either update our ideas or cling to what\u2019s comfortable and wrong\u2074. Lying there, I realized I had to let go of old regrets and fears and instead move forward with gratitude and faith. Right before midnight, I asked Jesus to go before me as I turned 30, to help me lead others to Him and use me for His mission. But I also asked for reassurance, a sign that He would be with me.<\/p>\n

As soon as I finished praying, I looked up and saw a huge shooting star fly across the sky, right between the two trees. It even slowed down in the middle for a few seconds before speeding up and disappearing! As far as I know, shooting stars don\u2019t slow down, but this one did. It was incredible! It felt like God saying, \u201cI\u2019m here. Keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n

That moment connects to another idea Parrish talks about \u2014\u00a0strategic positioning. He says we should put ourselves in environments that make better decisions easier\u2075. I didn\u2019t randomly end up under those stars \u2014 I intentionally chose to get away, to be quiet, and to make room for God to speak.<\/p>\n

Another thing that stood out to me from\u00a0Clear Thinking<\/em>\u00a0is that if you only surround yourself with average people, you\u2019ll end up living by average standards\u2076. And even stronger: \u201cShow me your role models and I\u2019ll show you your future\u201d\u2077. Being with my youth group, passionate, kind, and hungry for Jesus, reminds me that who you choose to be around matters. Their energy inspires me to keep raising the bar for myself and for them.<\/p>\n

Looking back, I see how the hardest parts of life were actually the ones that made me stronger. They gave me chances to lead, to serve, and to become someone different than who I would have been without them. Parrish also talks about the importance of balancing faith with realism \u2014 having the unshakable belief that you\u2019ll succeed, while still confronting the brutal facts of your reality\u2078. That balance is something I\u2019m still learning every day.<\/p>\n

Life isn\u2019t easy. But even in the middle of the struggle, and even in amazing moments like seeing shooting stars, nothing compares to what Jesus is preparing for us. That hope is the greatest assurance of all: the best is still to come.<\/p>\n

Footnotes<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Shane Parrish,\u00a0Clear Thinking<\/em>, p. 33.<\/li>\n
  2. Shane, p. 74.<\/li>\n
  3. Shane, p. 14.<\/li>\n
  4. Shane, p. 109.<\/li>\n
  5. Shane<\/li>\n
  6. Shane, p. 78.<\/li>\n
  7. Shane, p. 83.<\/li>\n
  8. Shane, p. 127.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I was about to turn 30 years old. I planned a four-day, three-night whitewater rafting trip over in California, the American River, inviting about 60 of my church members, youth, young adults, and their families. Somehow, I was able to find a spot right next to the river, with a mountain rising on the other […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":226,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","cohort-dlgp04"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/226"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41760"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41762,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41760\/revisions\/41762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}