August 26, 2009
I was sitting in a coffee shop just about to start writing in my journal and try to connect with the Lord. To tell you the truth, I was bummed out. I wasn’t really hearing the Lord very well, I was tired and weary, visionless, faithless – my viz was not good. Anyways, a guy comes in who has been to our Boot Camp and sits down to talk with me. He begins to share where he is at, and it’s not a dissimilar place to mine.
We are sharing back and forth some of our challenges and finding some common ground. He then states that he really wants to be mentored so that he can mentor others, because he doesn’t feel that he has much to offer others right now. When he shares this something goes off in my spirit – a little red flag pops up and I think, “I don’t know if I agree with that.” You see, this man is a father of adult children. This man loves Jesus and faithfully walks with Him as best as he knows how. This man is gifted and has shared his gifts with me in the past in ways that have helped me with what the Lord has been leading me into. This man is an active and engaged part of a vibrant church. This man has a lot to give. This man has the Spirit of the living God alive in him.
So, I tell him that I don’t agree with him. Yes, pursue a mentor. Ask the lord to bring someone into your life who can further disciple you. However, you have a lot to give right now. I think of the story of the feeding of the five thousand…
Remember when Jesus fed the 5,000? Amazing – yes? A great miracle by any account, but how did it start? A key player in this incredible event was a young boy. The kid who brought his lunch made all the difference. Three key lessons we can learn from that boy: 1. Show up. 2. Bring your lunch. 3. Share your lunch.
You see, first of all the kid showed up. He wasn’t hiding. He didn’t stay home. He just showed up – he chose to be there, to be present.
Then he chose to bring his lunch. He brought some resources. He brought what he had. It was a humble lunch, but he brought it.
Lastly, he gave it away. He figured that the Lord could do more with it than he could. He offered what he had to the Lord and to others.
That’s exactly what the Lord is asking us to do: Show up. Bring what we have and then give it away. All of us can do that. You’ll be amazed what the Lord will do.
John 6:9
“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
Strength and courage,
David