Sacred Roads: Chicago

Stop #2 on our epic cross-country trip from Oregon to DC was Chicago! Honestly, I would have been happy to have spent more time there because we missed the opportunity to see some really great friends.

I'm so thankful for Dave Treat, who didn't hesitate a moment to offer his home, his time, and his humor when I called him from Denver to tell him we might be making an extended layover at O'Hare. I'm grateful for every opportunity I get to hang out with Dave. Love his heart for people and his passion for community. And I got my New York pizza fix at this Chicago gem- the Lucky Monk.

The next morning, I got to hang out with another small group hero- Bill Donahue. Along with Russ Robinson, Bill practically wrote the book for churches looking to do small groups, and Building a Church of Small Groups is still my highest recommendation for those who are looking to pioneer groups in their church. It's like drinking from a leadership fire hydrant when I'm around him.

By dinner Thursday night, we finally touched down in Washington, DC. Our car and our bags are still at the Baltimore airport, but we've learned to live without them for so long that I think a couple more days will be okay.

I'm fairly convinced the delays we faced were actually God-ordained sacred roads for getting me to the right people at the right times for the right conversations. God knows better where we need to go and how we need to get there than we do.