Here's To The Crazy Ones

This is an article I wrote for a church planting newsletter. Wanted to share with you all to give you a peek into our world as church planters...

We church planter’s wives are an interesting breed, aren’t we? First of all, what other profession identifies the wife by her husband’s job? You never hear, “I’m the doctor’s wife. I’m the graphic designer’s wife, or I’m the UPS driver’s wife.” And if we did, we’d have no idea why that mattered. But introduce yourself as “the pastor’s wife,” and the person says, “Oh!” like they somehow get some dark secret or have just made a remarkable discovery.

Just what IS a pastor’s wife? Let alone a church planter’s? Because clearly anyone who isn’t one knows. For the past 22 years, I’ve been trying to figure this out.

I have to admit, I use the title when it makes me look good. When I introduce myself to someone at church, and they act like the don’t care, I’ll add, “the pastor’s wife,” and suddenly they’re impressed. “Oh! So nice to meet you!” It also works in reverse for when I want to shut a conversation down.

I find it funny when someone else introduces me. “This is Jodi. She’s….” struggling to find words but can’t think of a thing, so they say with shame, “She’s my pastor’s wife.” Hilarious. Like it’s a life sentence. Well, maybe it is.

But before we actually became “pastor’s wife,” we were “church planter’s wife.” Is there a difference? I say it like this: Take the role of pastor’s wife and heap a whole bunch of crazy on top.

Because that’s what I had to be in order to accept this role. When my husband came to me with this idea of church planting, I was 7 months pregnant with our second son, and he wanted to quit his youth pastor job to move our family and plant a church in a place I’d never heard of… right after the baby was born. Um. Okay, sure….? And I actually meant it. Because those are the kind of people God uses when He wants to do miracles and show Himself to the world — crazy.

Noah built a boat where there was no water.

Joshua marched 7 times around Jericho, blowing trumpets to knock a wall down.

Ruth hung out with her mother-in-law and as a result, God brought her a new husband.

And the virgin Mary carried the Christ child to a world who didn’t believe.

We church planter wives are just as crazy, willing to obey God’s call to plant the light of Christ’s church in the darkest places. And while the world looks at us cock-eyed, wondering why, we know the truth:

“The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense.” - 1 Cor. 1:18 (MSG)

So go! Bloom where you’re planted. And take comfort knowing your church planting sisters, and a few characters in the Bible, are just as crazy as you.

“Because the people who think they are crazy enough to change the world are the ones who do.” - Steve Jobs