Since today is National Donut Day, you can imagine what’s trending on Twitter: donuts and Krispy Kreme. I kind of get that. Who doesn’t love donuts, right? I even saw a recipe with a glazed donut strawberry shortcake. Now that’s how to eat fruit!

This isn’t a new thought for me. Actually, the other day, I tweeted, “Why isn’t Jesus trending?” #whyisn’tjesustrending. I still wonder. Well, not really. I know why. He’s not newsworthy as far as most of the world is concerned. The Good News isn’t what people want to hear. They want to hear outrageous stories and dirty gossip. Seems the only ones who want to hear are people like me who already have. To them, Jesus is old news.

I wish this blog was filled with new and innovative ideas. I want to know how to make Jesus trend. In the broad sense of that, I suppose I can’t, but I can do my little part. It feels like a drop in the bucket most days, but even drops eventually equal a tablespoon. I write stories that lead hearts to Jesus. Maybe I can’t make Him trend on Twitter, but I can help a few desire to pursue Him more passionately.

That may be the key to getting Him to trend. If we all do our little part, seems like that might lead to a larger trend overall.

I want Jesus to trend. Now go and want it too. Allow Him to trend in your family, in your marriage, in your church and workplace. Let what you do and write on social media and the words that come out of your mouth express love. Give to those in need. Be His hands and feet. He will trend if what the world sees is His believing people acting trendworthy.

I totally stole that line from a Hallmark movie I watched last night. I love it! I know in my own life, that phrase is exactly true. What I’ve discovered is that living on the edge of what feels safe is exactly where God has called me to live. I used to play it safe, fearing I might fail. Now, I’m doing the craziest things and really putting myself out there. I still might fail. That reality hasn’t gone away. What I do know is this: if I do fail, I’ll just try again. I’ve tasted this walk on the wild side, this adventurous life with Jesus. I can’t go back now. Life would be too boring there in the safety-lands.

What does this have to do with you, you might wonder. I guess I’ll just keep it simple and ask you: are you on the great adventure or are you just mundanely living out life until your time comes and you kick the bucket? Will your life have mattered beyond yourself and your immediate family? Do you follow your God given dreams and purposes? If not, why? What’s stopping you?

I’m not suggesting that everyone has some public purpose, but I can guarantee you that you have a place in the kingdom, a place of service that will allow you to touch lives. You may be ultra-gifted with teaching pre-school Sunday school. You may help with the youth. Both are callings that will take you to the borderlands of what feels safe. To commit to service can be scary. Honestly, service and ministry complicates what could otherwise be an easy life. Touching lives is often messy. But oh what a reward that mess will offer in the long run, both to you and to those you serve. You’ll never know the blessing until you’ve given it a try.

So begin life today by stepping out of your comfort zone. Hey! It’s VBS season. Start there. Say Y-E-S to V-B-S. (Sorry, that was a song one year.)

Recently, I was reading about how Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb. Familiar story, but I went away from that encounter with a fresh question in my mind. It was as if the Spirit asked me if I am still wearing my grave clothes: those attitudes, behaviors, and lifestyles from when I was dead. The answer? Yes, I am. I still wear some things that belong to my old dead life. Certainly not as many these days, but some, and some are too many. The fact is: I don’t have to. So why do I?

Oftentimes, I don’t even identify those things as belonging to my dead way of life. Ways I used to get things accomplished, such as manipulating a situation to make something happen the way I want it to, I can give that up. If I truly believe that God has my life under control, I don’t have to manipulate or control every situation. I can rest in the fact that He’s got this – whatever this is.

I have other hidden ways, those things that are private and don’t need to be shared. We all have those. They belong to the old, dead me. God occasionally shines light on those dark places, not with condemnation but with the assurance that there’s a better way, His way. Everything that represents the dead part of me is only a hindrance. When will I get that?

Here’s my mind-blowing revelation from those scriptures I read. Jesus said, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” Notice Jesus didn’t tell Lazarus to take off his own grave clothes. Lazarus was bound and unable. It was by Jesus’ word that the grave clothes were removed. Same with me. Obviously, these remaining things I now call grave clothes are something I’m not able to remove alone. I’m bound by them. I need Him, through His Word, to remove them.

So I ask, are you still wearing your grave clothes? Give it some thought. Respond here on the blog or on Facebook. I would love to open a conversation. What are those things from our dead way of life that we allow to linger in our new life?