A weird occourance and thought while workin in the yard.
September 25, 2010
For the past 13 years I have worked in 3 different yards.In Kettering, in West Chester and now in Washington Township.At those 3 locations—working in my yard I have always had a friend with me.I could be cutting the lawn, or picking up sticks, sweeping, blowing leaves… no matter what I was doing and which yard I was in--- my friend was with me.
My friend would hang on my every move—if I went to far, my friend would get up and move to be closer—if I stayed in the same place my friend would relax a little—waiting for my next move.My friend was always with me—always.If I went outside without my friend, my friend would let everybody know that I was outside and my friend wanted to be with me.
My friend?My friend was my dog Harley Sioux.It has been weird working out in the yard without her these past weeks.But something happened the other day as I worked in the yard.I thought about another friend—I thought about my friend Jesus the Christ.I thought about the many times that I have treated Jesus like my dog—really?Yes—really.Like He being such a friend—but not the kind of friend that I follow—but the kind of friend like my dog—that follows me around—Am I crazy for thinking this?
Wait now—it’s not that I want that kind of relationship with Jesus—but it is kinda what is taught—that He is our friend yes—but it is not He that sits around next to us, waiting on our every move—at our beckon call—not at all.Yet I have on occasion treated Him like—“what a great friend, He hangs with me, and He gets to be my friend.”
Is that the way it is?Sometimes—and I am afraid to admit—that I have had to change my thinking over the past few days.For I am following Him.Right?I follow His leading—yes, He’s my friend—but I am following Him…. He is not following me—He is leading me—is that the way it is?
I believe that God spoke to me the other day—and reminded me—I follow the King—He is not hangin around for me to order Him around—He really is the one I follow and I need to remember that!
A tweet from Rick Warren on my twitter—“You lead 1step at a time. If u get too far out in front of your troops they may mistake u for the enemy & start shooting at u!”
Oh yes—that is so true!
I have been at what I still consider “the new” place, even though it has been a year and I was here for almost 10 years—9 years ago… still new— I know—crazy!
Anyhow, about a month ago a parent of 2 students from the first time around came up to and said— “you were ahead of your time back then.”And I know she is right—and I know that I was right too—does that make me arrogant?No—I was doing what I believe God wanted me to do—the high school ministry was called student impact—and we were impacting many lives.Oh—maybe not those that wanted a ministry to keep their kids safe—not those that wanted me to baby sit, and not to those that wanted me to have a nice youth group of cloned kids.
No—I wasn’t going to do it back then—and I’m not doing it now—there is too much ministry to do for those that want to follow Christ—and for those that don’t know Him but need the ministry to reach out to them.
Funny how as Biblical as the above is—How in the world is that leading too far in front?Because once again, in the same place 10 years later--- I’m not the enemy.But I do feel it sometimes….
Maybe it’s the nature of student ministry?Maybe it’s the nature of me—going to fast… not explaining the vision well enough—I don’t know—but I do know this…
I’m doing what I believe is right and for those willing to follow – they will enjoy their relationship with God for the long haul… indeed for life—in the bad and in the good and when things don’t make sense--- the student ministry this time around is called Uprising based on the title of Erwin McManus’ bookUprising.
Uprising is simply a place for students to come- no matter where they are spiritually
Engage with the music
Engage with the subject
Engage with one another
And Engage with the Spirit
I suggest that students come because they want to be there—not because their parents make them—why would I do that?Because—it proves the condition of the students heart to a degree—if they love God—they want to be there
If they are seeking—great place to come and seek
If they are disinterested—why come at all?That says a lot about where a student is at spiritually.
Oh I know—there are some things we must do that we don’t like—
i.e., our job sometimes, and other such things—
In the long run—ummmmm Jesus said it this way—
Hot or cold is cool—lukewarm is no good—
I’m not going to be the person with my own students and the students of others that plays the game of attendance as some sort of feather in their cap or as something one does for God to do cart wheels—attending Uprising is for students that want to be there for the right reasons—
Oh and by the way—I believe that is the right way to look a church period.Maybe I’m leading to far in front again—I don’t think so… I have tried to explain this concept for the last year—is anybody listening?Yes—some are and for that—I am grateful.
I believe based on Scripture and history—that going to events where spiritual things are presented and happening are for those that want to engage—and engaging doesn’t happen by osmosis—but by and with a heart that is open and ready (Hebrews 11.6)which is volitional.
The proof in the pudding—Uprising is growing numerically—at least because students want to be there period.
I have viewed these scenes many times—and what stands out over and over and over—
Understanding and feeling what Miller says to earn this and how Ryan must have felt over the years—I often hear the voices of many many people over the years speaking on earning God’s goodness—His love, His mercy, His grace, His salvation—when I first saw these scenes I felt the sadness of the ones that paid a price for saving private Ryan.
I felt the sadness of my own life—wanting so much to earn God’s forgiveness, God’s grace, God’s salvation.
Tonight—I am so grateful that the idea of earning God’s grace is almost completely gone.Yes!The truth that His grace, His love, His care, His salvation is never ever earned.
I am at 51 free—oh I get stuck on approval of others sometimes—but I am no longer stuck on earning God’s love period.
4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.Ephesians 2.4-9
Thank you Jesus for your dying for me!Thank you for your unconditional love and kindness regardless of my actions.Thank you for loving me because you made the choice to love me.
Today I live free to love others like you love me.Help me to do that right—not to earn your love—but because I love you period.
