Speaker 0 00:00:00 <inaudible> hi and welcome to that total sense. The podcast, talk about faith, finance and everyday life in a way that makes total sense. I'm your host, Alexis <inaudible> on this podcast. You'll hear the personal stories of friends I'll be interviewing who are doing familiar things in new and innovative. If ways we'll answer questions specifically about money and our relationship with it. And we'll explore faith and Bible teaching together in all of these, it's not about changing our convictions as much as it is about messing with our methods. We'll have a lot of moments here together where we pause then say that makes total sense.
Speaker 0 00:00:44 Hi, I'm Alexis be steady and you are listening to that makes total sense. Today's conversation is with Megan fate. Marshman Megan is a Bible teacher. She is a storyteller. She is a smiler. I can just tell you that her presence just filled the room, even from California when we were recording this, um, she has a new book out called meant for good, the adventure of trusting God and his plans for you. And when I finished this book, really just maybe a few hours or a day before we got on the call together, I told her that my takeaway from this book was that it wasn't just about trusting God and his plans for me as an individual, but it was about trusting God and his plans for me in the context of community. And so as a brand new student, I was thrilled when this professor said, you nailed it.
Speaker 0 00:01:41 So I can't wait for you to hear this conversation. I can't wait for you to get a hand, get your hands on this book. It centers around Jeremiah chapter 29, verses 11 through 14. And some of that context we miss sometimes. But Megan, just as a wonderful job, exploring those four verses in the four parts of her book. And so I can't wait for you to get your hands on a copy of this. And in the meantime, I can't wait for you to listen to this conversation I had with Megan fate. Marshman hi everybody. This is Alexis <inaudible> and you're listening to that makes total sense. I have been chatting with Megan fate, Marshall Marshman I'm sorry for a little bit. And um, and we're going to start recording so that you can sit in on what we've been chatting about. Hey Megan, Hey, it's so good to be with you. Oh my goodness. It's going to be with you too. So cam, we're going to start with letting you introduce yourself, but maybe we should just start with, I had that weird moment where I was like, Oh my goodness. I thought you were in Chicago and you're not in Chicago. So tell us about you and where you actually are in your, in your fam jam and all that stuff. I'm in Southern California. I'm married with two little boys who I adore work at my local church, work at a Christian camp, work at a church
Speaker 1 00:03:00 Across the country. It's all a mixed bag, but it's all for the same purpose to make much of Jesus. So been praying for man, probably the past decade to just know when to say yes and when to say no and how to prioritize intimacy with the father and my family, while figuring out how to do the things he's called me to do so that work life balance, figuring it out, but figuring it out, recognizing I'm not perfect at it, but that's where it's fun. It leads me back to intimacy with the father, which turns out is the purpose of all of it
Speaker 0 00:03:30 Turns out. Right? I know it's funny. I, I have a really dear girlfriend of mine who will say, cause I'll, I'll come up with something and I'll say, Oh, I know, I know this is so elementary, but, and then I'll, you know, spew something out and, and she says a mentor of hers has always told her. Yes, but it's, it's a deeper, broader work. God is bringing us to a deeper, broader work.
Speaker 1 00:03:53 Yes. Oh, I think I hope listeners can relate to those moments where you say the simplest thing. Like you leave a church sermon and you say, God really loves me and everyone's thinking, but of course you've known that, right. But the minute you say it and you trust it so much so that you stop looking to be loved by everyone else around you and stop loving people like a leech. It's very freeing. Yes.
Speaker 0 00:04:14 So free. I mean, when you said that, like this intimacy with the father with that's what it's all about. And I'm like last night, my husband and I were taking a walk just around the neighborhood after dinner, you know, the kids are old enough now where we can leave them at home for just a few minutes to take a walk around the block, which I didn't know whatever happened in parenting life, but we're, we're kind of there. Um, as long as we, you know, leave, leave the appropriate technology and cell phones and all that stuff, but we're walking in and kind of solving the world's problems. And, and I said, I'm so embarrassed that I'm every, like all day yesterday, it really was just this. It really is. Those two things Jesus told us. It really is being in this loving relationship with him and being in this loving relationship with the people that are around us. Like how old am I? How long has this taken me? You know? But yeah,
Speaker 1 00:05:14 It's really fun is I've gotten to travel the country and speak at a variety of churches. And it seems,
Speaker 0 00:05:18 It was like the,
Speaker 1 00:05:21 I'll just say the bigger the church, the simpler, their methods of discipleship are here. So just really an interesting, it almost seems backwards. Like you'd would have to be more complex and more steps. And I just think that with more staff huddling together around the scriptures, for the sake of whatever they're up to, it's pretty profound that when you gather people, so again, imagine a bigger ministry team huddled around the scriptures you go. It really is a lot. It's simple, but not easy. Right? Simple but not easy.
Speaker 0 00:05:53 Right? No, that's, that's so good. That's so good. And I'm Megan, I have your book that I finished. Oh, an hour before we got on the phone together. And it, it, the reason I thought of that, right. That instant was because when you said, and they huddle around the scriptures, you know, and they, and I think what is one of those things when we huddle around the scriptures, what is one of those things we hear?
Speaker 1 00:06:19 Yeah. Yeah. I mean, when I huddle around scripture with anyone else, I suddenly, there's a lot less I in the conversation or me in the conversation and there's a lot more awe of someone else. And I think we all know the right answer in this moment, of course. But man, when you read it, when you actually read it and you read it, even with other people, which I think is a lost art outside of the physical commodity of the church. But when you, when you read it and you remember what it's about, like, here's a, here's a little example, a flannel graphs. If you grew up in a church, flannelgraph was a thing, but never in the flannel graph, did it have the little thing of Jesus and then the paralyzed man who then you have a second parallel. The guy once he starts walking, right?
Speaker 1 00:07:07 Never. Is there a, never am I in that flannel graph? Never is any of my little buddies, never is the teacher in the flannel graph. It's all about Jesus. And you always walk away. No wonder we have the, kind of the joke of answers. Jesus, because in elementary school as going through the church, it's can you believe it? Jesus really did this. I think we lose that as adults because our culture is screaming. It's all about you. It's all about you get what you deserve. When I think about taking that little credit card, um, slogan and putting it into my real life or looking at it in the lens of the Bible. I don't want what I deserve. Thank goodness. Thank you,
Speaker 0 00:07:40 Goodness. Right. I mean, it's, it's like, this was another one of those. It was probably six months ago. I was going through something that was pretty tough personally. And, and I had this kind of like trigger, you know, like, like I got this text message. It was like, Oh my goodness. And, and I, and I prayed first. And then I called my husband and I told him, I just want you to, I just want you to hear me say this. That I'm finally realizing that when I grew up in Sunday school and the answer was always God in Jesus, he really is the answer
Speaker 1 00:08:10 That wasn't, it hasn't changed since third grade.
Speaker 0 00:08:13 I just didn't realize that what I thought was the, the blanket Sunday school answer really, really is the answer. Yes. Wow. Really is the answer.
Speaker 1 00:08:23 So w I mean, I imagine listeners right now, maybe agreeing with a little yesterday, men quietly, as they're driving or sitting by a pool or wherever you're at listening to this, I wonder if whatever you're going through, if you were to hold it in your hands and then have that truth, the answer is Jesus. I wonder if you were to take the time and intimacy and in prayer, say, how can these two things live together? God, give me your reality for this current thing I'm going through. I wonder what he would reveal to you because that's what you need to hear. You don't need to hear even our voices or our, but you gosh, need to hear not only the fact that Jesus has the answer, but what it means for him to be the answer in your scenario, in your life, in your struggle, in your wrestle, so that you can get to the end of it and not just have answers, but have more Jesus. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:09:10 Yes, yes, yes. It's, it's so good. And I think that this, this was one of those things, honestly, when I picked up the book and I thought, and I saw Jeremiah 29, 11, I mean, fill in the blank, right. Because I thought, okay, this, this is what this is, that's what this is. It's, it's, it's kind of a me thing. And I'm just
Speaker 1 00:09:30 Telling you that changed on the first page. So can you tell us about that? Because, I mean, this is for our listeners, that Megan's book is called meant for good and the adventure of trusting God and his plans for you. But it's, it's, it's a book of four parts based on four verses of scripture. Yeah, that's it? Yeah. It's 200 pages on four verses.
Speaker 0 00:09:52 It's just so good. I love it. I love it. Um,
Speaker 1 00:09:57 But tell us, because Jeremiah 29 11,
Speaker 0 00:10:00 I dunno. It's kind of one of those either. It's it's kinda got a rap
Speaker 1 00:10:04 It's reputation proceeds it. Oh man. Here's the journey I went on for even writing this book was I was singing that one song in church one day, the one that's like, Oh, your promises are. Yes. And there was a moment. I was like kinda enjoying that. And I went, I kind of leaned back to the Lord and said, God, what, what are your actual promises? Cause I really like the song, but I wish the, the, I wish the, the lyrics had some of the promises too, so that we wouldn't just be singing these facts. And we forget to actually take hold of the promises. And so I went on a journey to find some promises and here's where it was fun. The journey of this book started the day that I was, I remember I was in front of an audience of like 600 people.
Speaker 1 00:10:44 And I said, this, you know, take hold of God's promises. Like the one, the famous one in Jeremiah 29 and the whole audience shouts 13 or, sorry, I'm sorry. 11, because I'm Christian. Except you even just never, just confused. Like no, no, no. Everyone say 11 you're right. Everyone said 11, but I simultaneously said 13. And I was like, Oh yeah, because everyone thinks it's about 11, 11 was written to a people who were in the midst of, uh, who were enslaved and Bob Babylon. And the word, if you read it in context, understands that they actually wouldn't have the hope or the future for another 70 years. So basically the whole chapter is about waiting well in the heart and God not wanting to pull you out of the heart, but have purpose through the heart. It's not what you think. 29 11 is not what you think, but the promise I wanted to get out.
Speaker 1 00:11:30 And the reason I wrote the book was going people think 29, 11 is just about them. The fun thing is the promises in 29, 13, where God says after the whole, I know the plans. They're good. Trust me. But here's how to trust me. Verse 12. Here's how to trust me. Verse 13. Here's the promise. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Think about the promise. If you to find God, the promise is you will. And that applies to every area of your life. So let's get with the obvious ones. Let's start with quiet time. If you seek good feelings, you might walk away from quiet time. Disappointed. If you seek finding the answer to all of your questions, if you seek finding good feelings or peace in prayer, if you seek, eh, trying, if you seek anything other than God, that's not promised even church.
Speaker 1 00:12:24 If you seek to feel better or be inspired while that's wonderful, it's not promised. So if you want to take hold of God's promises, seek to find God everywhere. And here's another key. And in every one, because they're made in God's image, he's find-able even in them, whether or not they believe in him, they're part of his image. These truths in scripture are not things to just sing. Yes. And amen. There they're things to take hold of and live like they're true because then you can actually find what you're looking for. There's another famous song. I still haven't found what I'm looking for. It's like this upbeat song and people chanted together, maybe at weddings, they're dancing. And you're like, why are you playing those lyrics still on the phone when I'm looking for it, can you mention at a, in a, at a wedding, hopefully they felt what they're looking for, but how often we haven't found what we're looking for, because we're not even aware of what we should be looking for. And so here's the promise you can take hold of in Jeremiah 29 13. If you seek to find them, you will. And that's a promise you can count on.
Speaker 0 00:13:32 Oh, it's so good. It's so good. I feel like I need to tell it. We've got a poster Bano right over here. I feel like it almost having a dome. It's fine. It's fine. We can chant the song. We can sing it.
Speaker 1 00:13:41 That's great. That's good.
Speaker 0 00:13:44 No, you're so right. I mean, you're, you're so right. And I, I loved where you telling the stories about your sister. I think it was your sister whose house was robbed, right? Like Cree or wrapped around Christmas time or something. And, and I have a similar experience where I knew someone who was going through this really, really difficult time and she needed community, surround her and food. And you know, all of the things. And I witnessed this when I was out visiting and I came home and told my husband, you would not believe the community who was coming around her because it actually wasn't the church people. And I was shocked. And I wrestled with that, but I want you to tell your perspective from your sister's story, because it, it answered a lot of this question for me, but helped me to meditate on God's otherness his, his preeminence, his omnipresence, right? Like his exactly. As your thing, like we can, we will find even others.
Speaker 1 00:14:52 So can you tell us
Speaker 2 00:14:53 A little bit of that? So it's kind of, yeah.
Speaker 1 00:14:55 Sad story. I'll tell, I'll tell two stories quickly back to back. Cause it'll give us some handles on what to do next. So basically Christmas time, I mean the, the tree is set. This is the week of Christmas and all the presents are under and they had two little kids and it's the token story of like, it's just, or not talking story. It's just this beautiful setup. They come home one day and they're completely robbed. All the presents are gone. Just one of those, like she feels sick. She sends a text to like 20 of us from the church. Mind you, she's my sister. So I can rush over. And, and as I'm sitting with her, she's getting all these text messages that were really sweet. Like just people going. I'm so sorry from all the church friends, right? Within an hour, we hear a knock on the door and we open it to her unbelieving, atheist neighbor, holding a gift wrapped like the, her response was to do something, not just say something.
Speaker 1 00:15:52 And I remember being like that was really nice. And what was really nicer was the next two hours of the rest of the neighborhood coming over of which there are not believers. None of them are. And keep, my sister continued to receive really sweet text messages from her Christian friends and prayers. And those are wonderful, but they was just this. And I remember wrestling saying, what in the world do you do with this? Why are the non-Christians out loving the Christians and Christians. They're supposed to be known for their 11. Now we're known for being nice and texts. That's not going to change anyone. That's not going to make a difference. And my brother in law had, I had a really profound conversation where I just processed the wrestling and he sat back and it was so perfect because the two of us really were dependent upon the Lord in that conversation.
Speaker 1 00:16:38 Cause none of us knew the answers, but do you ever find out yourself saying something way more profound than you could ever come up with on your own? You're like, God has to be the Lord. This was one of those moments because he leaned in and said, well, our neighbors are made in God's image. Whether they realize it or not like God man created them to showcase their creator and they're going to do it. Whether or not they give the right credit. But here's what we do with that. And I'll tell a second story. That's hopefully fast. And it's this, there's a teacher who wanted to teach in the inner city and she felt called to it. So she left her prior teaching job where she had all these students and all these A's and B's and went down to the inner city and started teaching math.
Speaker 1 00:17:17 And she did kind of a pretest to see how they were, where the students were and basically gets it back in the test. Results were so sad. She said, it was like the first one she had minus 37 out of a hundred. And she's like, okay, it's a D you know, she got one that felt, that was like a C plus. And she's like, yes. Whereas in the past she would be like C plus is not good. You know? And so she's telling the story. And basically his teacher gets to a point where she got to one that was out of a hundred minus 97. And she's like, it's almost like you have to try to do that. But that was it. But she kind of sits back as a teacher and said, Oh man. And then she had this aha moment. And she thought, who decided that what we do is we tell our students how many they got wrong, because it's true that we don't just do that in the classroom.
Speaker 1 00:18:05 We do that in our life as we walk around and we think about our friends or our family members or our spouses or our kids. And it's very easy to notice what they got wrong. So in this moment, this teacher not wanting to make a change in the world, just put plus three out of a hundred and a smiley face. And the second half of her test scores all had pluses and the first half and minuses. And the next day she hands back all the tests and the plus three kid walks up after class and goes, all right. So I pretty sure we both know I'm bad at math. And she laughed. And he said, but why in the world would you put plus three? And she didn't give a profound answer. She's like, that's better than plus two, whatever. And he moves on. But what happened is when he moved on, the next test was plus 15 and then plus 37 plus 62, then he goes off to college as the first one in his family to graduate.
Speaker 1 00:18:52 Then he becomes a Christian. That's not true. I added that. But the story is, where do you begin with someone you don't begin with? They're minus 97 because they trust me. They look in the mirror and see minus 97. They may even see minus 98. And think about that with all of your friends. Think about that with who you're driving to see right now, think about that with who you're surrounded by. It's very easy to point out the minus 97, the plus three might just be God's image. And then that they need to be called out. They need to be called out the plus three, because that gives them hope and courage that plus 15 as possible. And they're already comparing themselves to the plus 97. They're already doing that by nature. So as Christians, one of the best things we can do is find what's best in them. And here's the promise again, Jeremiah 29 13, what's the best possible thing you can find in someone God's image. Of course.
Speaker 0 00:19:40 Oh, that's so good. That's, that's just so good because that spin, which is, which is the truth, right? Plus three is the same as minus 97, but it doesn't feel the same. No, and I think that that's one thing that I feel like God is teaching me and he's been teaching me for the past few years. So I had several years ago, I hadn't planned on telling this at all, but I was having conversation actually with my therapist. Um, and we were just talking about prayer life and things like that. And she's, she's a really, really strong believer in and has been through a lot in her, in her life. And she was going to asking and, and I said, listen, every day I pray that I would please God. And she didn't, she kind of paused. And she said, okay, I think I S I see, cause we'd, we'd known each other at that point.
Speaker 0 00:20:41 And she said, but I'm going to ask you to push, pause on that prayer for a minute. And I'm going to ask you, instead of praying that for a week or two try, it's not that I don't want you to do things that please God, but I want you to try praying that you will feel God's love for you. And I thought you have lost your ever loving mind, but I'm paying you. So here we go. Right. But what that has led to over the years, right? Is that even now I find joy in praying that I will feel God's affection for me. Yeah. Because I can know in my head that he loves me. I know that I miss 97 on the test, but a plus three feels different and it feels better. And to feel God's affection, right? Like there's a difference, right?
Speaker 1 00:21:41 Just stories are flooding. My mind. One is a friend of mine who goes and hangs out with nuns once a month just, and the nuns are in their nineties and they just slow her down. It's such a beautiful thing. But there was a moment. She was telling me her name, Alison prior. And she was telling me a story of the moment. She sat with the nuns and says, what do I do about all this? And she talked about her five kids. And then she talked about all that she's going through. And she talked about all the things. And the nun says, well, first, would you like to light a candle? And she's like, what? You know, just, just slowing her down to slowing her down, slowing her down. And then the non chairs, I don't often do this. And my friend leans in what? You don't have to do this. I sense the Lord wanting me to share something with you. And you know, she's my friend's expecting. Cause the nuns never done this. And so she, and she says, I remember being in a season like you're in, I just want you to let God love you.
Speaker 1 00:22:34 And then the nun says, would you like to sing a song together? My friends like a song? Like what? No, no, no. But what's God telling me. She's like, what'd you just let God love you. Just so listener wherever you're at. What would it look like to take Alexis's moment? My other friend's story, because I've tried to apply it. What would it look like for you in this very instant in this instant, come with expectation. If you seek him, you'll find him to let God love you. It might mean you have to surrender. All the things you think are very unlovable. It's almost like if I were to look to my husband and say, but I, I don't love this about me. I feel like if I were to say that to my husband, I would give him the opportunity to tell me. I love you knowing all of you.
Speaker 1 00:23:22 I love you knowing all of you. And if you don't let them know what you think is unlovable, then you may not actually believe that he loves you. Knowing all of you. You may think that it's, he loves you because of the most lovable parts of you, what a profound place. Because when you know it, like you're what a Manor therapist sounds fantastic. But when you know that you're loved, when you know that you're accepted, can you imagine walk is weird. I don't know where my mind is jumping here, but can you imagine walking into a gym of doing workout gym, knowing you're already accepted as you are? I feel like I would go from thing to thing with confidence. I feel like I wouldn't even compare weights. I think I would just have fun again. I would enjoy the process and I think that's a metaphor for life.
Speaker 1 00:24:05 If you knew how loved you already were, you'd want to live free. You want to perform because it's fun. Again, life that you try all the machines, you didn't do all the machines. I'd go try some and I'd laugh. If I couldn't do it, I feel free enough to laugh. If I couldn't do something or I couldn't figure out a machine, I wouldn't be ashamed to ask for help because their opinions of what I'm able to do, don't affect me. But now take this into life. Can you imagine walking into a, applying for a job and then walking into the interview, knowing you're already accepted before they say anything in response, just the confidence, the storytelling, the laughter. You would have the lightness, you would feel it's profound and worth it to take the journey that you're talking about. My friend Alison went through and then I'm trying to go through myself.
Speaker 0 00:24:51 I mean, we're all I feel like we're all trying to go there. I mean, and here, here's what I want to ask you. If that's the promise, Jeremiah 29, 13, 13, that if we will seek him, we will find him
Speaker 1 00:25:09 Speed,
Speaker 0 00:25:09 Seek to speak to the person who says, why is that a promise? Why does that matter? Because I'm not trying to find God, I'm trying to find the right husband or wife or,
Speaker 1 00:25:24 Or job or church or
Speaker 0 00:25:27 Kid or whatever. And, and you know what I'm saying? Sometimes when we all get shortsighted and we don't know why that promise matters more and it does, but we don't know why that promise matters more than the other thing that we're looking for.
Speaker 1 00:25:47 Yep. Here's my response to that is that spouses make really crummy gods human, and they will be crushed by savior like expectations. Your future kids will be crushed by savior like expectations and perfection expectations because the, what you actually need, can't be found in them. And your love for them will be a leech type of love. It will be selfish love. And of course you don't want your kids to look like that. But if that's what you're modeling, then they're going to be the type of people that love in order to be loved, which isn't sincere love at all. So why does it matter is because it's a place that you can actually find satisfaction. You can actually find what you're looking for. And as you find what you're looking for, the natural byproducts of it are all the things that you wanted in the first place, but you just didn't know how to, how to find so things like peace.
Speaker 1 00:26:47 The phrase I talk about in the book is peace. These wonderful things are amazing byproducts, but they're really crummy goals. There's a professor out in, uh, a university of California, bio lesbians, JP Morlan. And he did this radical study on happiness because it's the number one thing parents want for their kids. I want my kids to be happy and it sounds well and good. It's not terrible. Happiness is wonderful. Watch. Let's see how fun that is. Happiness. Isn't amazing. And then he clarifies bi-product terrible goal because if it's a goal, you will critique everyone and everything based on how happy they make you. And that will be a crummy marriage that will be crummy parenting. That will be crummy dinner tables because all of their existence will exist in order to make you happy. And that's the difference with the Lord is when, and here's the kind of aha behind the whole book is while the scripture talks about Jeremiah 29 11, God knows the plans he has for you, the plans he has for you, aren't about you.
Speaker 1 00:27:43 And so what God does is take you on a spiritual journey. And I hope the book takes people on a spiritual journey to recognizing you have life and the plans he has for you are not all about you. And I say that not to condemn. I say that to lift weights. I say that to walk lighter. And I say that to walk with purpose, that you can actually be a part of something really ethically big. It's not about you, but that one story absolutely involves you. And your part in the story is really significant. And here's why, because when Jesus ascended into heaven, he did it so that he could keep his promise in Matthew 28 to be with us always by the power of the Holy spirit. So what Jesus is doing on this earth, he's doing through his spirit, through you, which means this, what you do really does matter.
Speaker 1 00:28:34 I, I was sharing this. I now have two kids. I was sharing this with a group of high schoolers. And I was saying like, you matter, you matter, you matter, but it's not a self focused matter. It's a God's plans for you are to join him what he's up to and in doing. So the things you do will be eternal. They will last. And so I'm saying it, and as I'm speaking it to like, there's no joke, 2000 high school students in a room. And I start crying imagining that one day I'm as a mom, going to need someone probably 10 years younger than me to shout at my kids. And so if you happen to be listening to this podcast, would you just hear this as your perfectly heavenly father, wanting to use a willing and able servant, which I'll use my mouth right now to shout these words to you, what you do really matters because what you do with your hands is what Jesus, his hands are doing on this earth.
Speaker 1 00:29:18 What you choose to do with your eyeballs, yours are the eyes with which Jesus is looking on. People with compassion, people who need compassion, eye contact, he uses your eyes. What you do with your body today really matters because it's what Jesus is doing through his spirit, through you, what you do natters Oh, I could, I could go on and on, but I just hope that this isn't just a moment that people listening go. That's nice. I agree. But cause if they believed it, they could walk lighter into the gym, into job interviews and even into marriage and parenting, it would change everything.
Speaker 0 00:29:56 It would change everything. And I think that that was Jesus's point is that it would literally change the world if we would walk like that.
Speaker 1 00:30:10 Can I ask you Alexis? When, when or how has, or is God teaching you? It's not about you in the midst of hosting a podcast and doing other things and being an amazing mom of four and also a wife who remembers to take walks or their spouse. I'm proud of you. How do you live like that?
Speaker 0 00:30:29 No, I think the thing that I'm learning most right now, and, and, and it's just kind of one of those, like, um, like we talked offline when, when I read your book, I said, I don't know if this is the message ding, it was, but it was because God is the reason I said, I don't know if it's messages because it's the message that's been replaying for a very long time over and over and over again is it's about relationship. It's about connectedness and, and my calling is related to your calling and is related to everyone else's calling because we're in this relationship together. And so one of the things that I'm learning that I matter, but it's not all about me, um, is probably phrased well, I'm reading a book by Stephen Garber right now and he over and over and over and over again, asks the question with what, you know, what will you do?
Speaker 0 00:31:28 And I, I think sometimes we think it doesn't really matter because I'm just, I'm just me or I'm just one person or I'm just this, but he says, no, no, no, no, no, no, it, it really does matter. And he, and he frames the question in the context of knowing the world and loving it anyway, which is what Jesus does with all of us. Right? Like he knows us and it's not just that he loves us anyway. He loves us intentionally and he created us and there's nothing will ever do that will ever surprise or shock or disappoint him because he already knew. And so as his disciples, even though we don't have the omniscience that he does, we can look at the world and learn from his example, how to know the world and love it anyway. And if that's the context, then with what we know, what will we do? How will we respond? And so I think that that's, that's kind of how I'm learning is, is that it does matter what I do, but it's not just me because just my response might change some things, but I need your response. And my neighbors respond, you know? Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:32:52 Uh, that reminds me to answer it down. In fact, it brings me to remember the moment. I mean, how beautiful, what you're saying, especially in the context of church is precisely what Jesus gets out is like, you don't have to be anyone else just, just bring you and your knowledge, your experience, your everything. It's like the potluck that I threw for my young adult ministry years ago when I ran one and everyone signed up for the potluck, what to bring. And I put out some like key essential things, but it's not sexy to bring napkins, no napkins, but I mean the number of chips and salsa that young adults brought in, it's like mad strike me.
Speaker 0 00:33:29 I'm like, yes, because that's what we lived on in college. Right.
Speaker 1 00:33:34 Chips and salsa for lunch. It's fine. Oh yeah, exactly. But the aha was the moment no one brought a fork. No one said right. And so it's, the meal is really messy and it didn't work like the meal didn't work. And so as you're talking about everything, what do you know, what are you gonna do about it? The reason it matters for you is because if you're busy thinking about comparing what you know, to what the other person knows or the gifts that you bring to the church is not as blank. Blank is so and so, or I can't play music. I can't sing, I can't preach what, what's my role in the church and against all self centered, that's obviously a bigger problem than anything. But if you don't bring what you bring, the meal is messy and forks is not cool. It's not cool to bring plastic forks.
Speaker 1 00:34:18 No one's going to applaud you, but without the fork, potlucks don't go well. And they didn't. So with that, I think about what you're saying, but I think, you know, and even if you maybe weren't raised in the church, or maybe you only have your testimony, or maybe you don't know all the things or can't contribute in the ways you've seen other people contribute for the glory of Jesus and some big, profound ways with their following and their blogs and their everything. You might just be a fork, but without you, the church is not as it's intended to be. I need you to enjoy the feast. It's true. Which it is because it's in the Bible that we're going to end this whole thing with this big table on a feast. I hope we all show up to make the meal just as God intended.
Speaker 0 00:35:06 Amen. Oh, I love that. Um, I'm wondering if you'll share one last story with us and I would love for you to share the story of how you opened the book when you were teaching class. But, but the reason I would like for you to share that is it's not only because it's such a great story and I kind of selfishly want to hear you in your own voice, say it, but it's because I think there are so many people in that, like knowing what, you know, what will you do? There are people in boats now that I know personally, who would say, I don't know what to do because I'm not hearing anything from God. Like, it feels like he's just not talking right now. And, and, and like you said, the whole, I mean, this, this whole context of Jeremiah 29, 11 and chapter 29, and Jeremiah is, it's not about someone doing their thing. It's about a nation waiting well was, was how you put it, which I think, which I think sums it up. So will you tell us when you were teaching college?
Speaker 1 00:36:22 So I know that as a university professor and I had the time of my life teaching, cause I basically any lesson I was thinking, it has to be like, experience has to be tangible. So if we're going to talk about, uh, physical, so as a health class. So if we're going to talk about physical health, I would have them wear paper bags on their heads, so they'd appreciate their eyes. And then we talk about each part of the body. So they had to listen the whole class without eyes. So it made them appreciate their ears. And I mean, every class was like that. I mean, it was, we, we talked about the art of play and so he played kickball and talked about like the freedom and then what it means to be chosen and how, you know, it was just really fun. So I loved everything about it, but one day went different than I was planning because I always would kick off the Monday morning, 8:00 AM class with a what'd you do over the weekend.
Speaker 1 00:37:07 And one punk kid, I loved him, but he was so adventurous, but he kind of had this, like I took a vow of silence and everyone's like, wow, he's so Holy, you know, and it was kind of this moment, everyone's kind of like, Oh, that's fun. Was it like, and he kind of shared with you a little moments of what it was like listening for an entire weekend. And then by the end of it, just in sassy fashion, turns to me as the professor and said, you should try it. And the whole class, uh, you know, the Mo the moment in our house, we say burn as good as I mouth. Okay. And the reason I mouthed it is because I took it as a challenge in inter the most unique teaching class that they've ever been a part of. And I've ever been a part of.
Speaker 1 00:37:54 And basically the rest of the class, I didn't say a single word and watched what happened. I gave them access to slides. I typed notes if they needed it. But mainly I stood to the side. And I mean, the, the moments were profound in so many ways, but the moment, I mean, people laugh because some kids like they didn't even do any of the reading, you know? And I was like, no, I'm like, thanks. You know? So, I mean, it's like, all the things are happening, but when you suddenly put that context into our Christian life, what do the, what did the students want that day? They wanted me to stand up there and give them everything they needed in a nice entirety PowerPoint so that they could perform when the time was right. And don't, we do the same thing with God, God, I'm going to pray.
Speaker 1 00:38:42 I'm going to do quiet time, or I'm going to go to church so that you can satisfy my needs. And then I'm going to move on with the rest of my life. This is just a small parts, one class that I'm taking. One aspect of my life doesn't really bleed into any other areas of my life. And so if you could just give me everything I need, that'd be great. And I now mind you, I'm not saying that God has taken a vow of silence with us by any means, but I do think he steps to the side and says, are you gonna engage in the reading? Cause there were so many moments that paralleled our Christian lives, the moments where someone would go off on an opinion, and then suddenly they weren't furthering their learning because they were just stuck on their own opinions.
Speaker 1 00:39:17 And that's not, what's going to be tested later. What's going to be tested later is what's in the book and what's going to be tested later in our lives is what's in the book. What's in God's book. It's what is, and I hate to make the comparison. Hopefully I clarify this in the book. Obviously the Bible is not a textbook, but it's, it's our manual for life. I think we get so caught up in our opinions and our thinking, our perspectives, our truth. And we have now landed ourselves in the world that we're all living in. That's varying opinions. Yet we have this thing called truth in book form right before and God wanting to speak yet, he speaks in a way that does is not what we want, but it's everything we need. And so if you haven't heard from God for awhile, picture him as the lecturer, the typical lecture who lectures through his word, of course, stepping to the side and staying, why don't you jump in on the learning?
Speaker 1 00:40:11 I'm not going to do your work for you because that's not how you're really going to learn the lessons that you're going to need in life. And I will tell you as a professor of that class, looking back, because it felt like the ultimate, I mean, I left that class and that was the best teaching I've ever been a part of. And I didn't see a word, but people took it and owned it. And this phrase has stuck with me ever since if I, as the professor say something, they might understand. If they say something, they'll remember it. Cause you've ever raised your hand in a class and then said something. And then you critique or are very proud of whatever you just said for the rest of the class. Right? So if you say something, you'll remember it. If you discover something you'll own it.
Speaker 1 00:40:48 And you'll only act on what you own, not what you agree with. And so the goal would be that God is saying, I'm speaking. It may not be how you expect, but it's everything you need. So the time is now for you to step up and take your learning seriously. And the good news is when I, when I critiqued those tests later, anyone that was present that day, got a perfect store score on that lesson because they had to own the material for themselves. They didn't just need to be a friend of a friend. And I'm convinced, I'm convinced that God, when he's speaking in John chapter 15 about abiding me, he's speaking to Christ followers and saying, don't just attach to someone else's faith. I'm here. Connect directly to me for yourself. That's the invitation that I learned in that class was to invite the students, to do their part and trust the God will play his.
Speaker 0 00:41:45 Amen. Oh, that was, that was so rich. Thank you for telling that selfishly. So I get, I get, I just wanted, I just wanted to see your face and hear your voice say that because I, I felt like I could picture the scene, right? I was there and um, in my mind, and that was so good. Thank you so much, Megan, before we sign off and let you tell us, um, how we can grab the book, how we can connect with you, what else would you want to leave our listeners with? If we haven't already touched on it?
Speaker 1 00:42:21 Yeah. The other, how the book got its title was Romans eight 28, the other very famous scripture. The one that says for, I know God works all things for good of those who love him, who have been called the cornerstone of Messiah meant for good. The books meant for good because of that verse, but specifically, cause right now you might be thinking, yeah, yeah, I can find the good in anything. And it's true. You really can. And some of you that's really easy and some of you go, I have no idea how God could use this betrayal that I'm going through for good, or this cancer for good or the death of a friend for good or anything else you might be going through and hit that, that Bible verses true. So what do we do? And just like we did with Jeremiah, we pull back, look at it in context.
Speaker 1 00:43:05 The, what you'll find is Romans eight 29, which basically defines good differently than we define. Good. We say the good means pleasant. I mean in different contexts, it could mean happy. It could mean easy, successful. Rich. That's not how Paul goes on to define good. When he writes for those God foreknew. He also predestined here to us to be conformed more into the likeness of his son. The good thing God is doing through all things he even says for, I know that in all things, what God is doing in all things, including the very thing you're going through is for good. He will use it to form you more into likeness of Jesus. So let me ask how my God be wanting to use the very thing you're going through to form you more into the likeness of Jesus. If you've experienced a betrayal, Jesus forgives Jesus heals Jesus restores, but he doesn't just always do it instantly. He doesn't improv process and he does it perfectly. Jesus is dependent upon the words of his heavenly father. Jesus is a prayer warrior. See, as we studied the life of Jesus, as you read through the gospel narratives, it's not about you. It's all about him. Discover who he is because he'll use everything to form you more into the likeness of Jesus and God's plan for the world is to save them through Jesus and God's plan for the world might just be a transformed you more into the likeness of Jesus. That's what I say.
Speaker 0 00:44:34 Amen. Thank you so much, Megan, where can we grab the book? Where can we connect with you
Speaker 1 00:44:41 Anywhere? And how cool is social media? You search my name, Megan fate Marshman or Megan fade. You'll find me. I love the social media and that can be used in such powerful ways. Got a website, Megan, fade.com or you can buy the book anywhere books are sold. But my hope is to take you with me on a journey of discovering these troops for ourselves, not agreeing with my opinions, but diving into God's word, learning how to hear his voice for yourself so that you can say yes to whatever he's asking of you, because it is the best adventure. It's the best. Yes you'll ever take.
Speaker 0 00:45:17 Amen. Thank you so much. Well, I loved it and I loved going with you on the adventure. Thank you so much for writing it and for sharing your heart and inviting us to draw closer to Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:45:27 Thanks for having me.
Speaker 0 00:45:31 So thank you again so much for listening. Don't forget to subscribe. So you won't miss an episode, share the link with your friends. You can visit
[email protected] and until next time, this is Alexis Piseti remembering to do well for ourselves so we can do good for others. Bye
Speaker 1 00:45:50 <inaudible>.
