I was ready. I had done my homework. I was armed with my thoughtful insights and open-ended discussion questions. The topic of the day was Moses at the burning bush. I was ready to connect it to God's character, the Abrahamic covenant, our daily lives, the whole bit. Moses is reluctant to follow God's directive and although he is physically listening to the voice of God, doubts God's power in carrying out His plan. Moses is engrossed in the details. He'd fled Egypt on charges of murder, he'd been raised under the roof of the Egyptian royalty, he wasn't a gifted public speaker... In his estimation, things were not looking favorable to a successful career as a religious and political leader. His faith was limited to his human perception of the circumstances and his natural abilities.
The moral of that story is God literally talked Moses into trusting Him. The moral of my story is I still have a lot to learn about faith and leadership. There was one teenager, and she wasn't able to stay for the discussion. So I joined the little kids, coloring, word-searching, fill in the blank-ing. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Here I was, ready to make these kids think, wrestle and really get the text. Maybe I studied the text for my own benefit. God knew I struggle with seeing the human circumstances and discounting the value of faith in what God will do if given a little space.
Maybe leadership isn't just having the best ideas and the loudest voice. Maybe leadership is more than having the right answers and the willingness to work. Maybe leadership is something I don't have yet.
Sometimes I feel like I'm running on a hamster wheel. I get frustrated because things here are rolling, but not very fast, and sometimes it feels like we're rolling in an ox cart, not a Honda. The people here are willing and eager to upgrade, but where do I even start? It's not like I'm a big experienced church administrator with several programs under my belt of experience. It's more like I just graduated from university and have dabbled in various areas of ministry. I see things that need some work... like maybe doing a few newer songs, or using an acoustic instead of an electric for accompaniment, or doing some kind of men's Bible study. This church is filled with wonderful women, but sometimes I feel like they run the church a little. Some would say that's just a more modern take on things. I'd say it's a bit of outdated feminism gone churchy.
So maybe this will take longer than I thought. Maybe it will be even more difficult than I imagined. Probably I will want to quit at some point and pack up my bags and catch the first plane out of town. Probably people will disagree with me. But most sure and definite are two things. 1. God is faithful to work and use those who are humble and willing. 2. Neals don't quit. Obviously, the first is most true and important, but the second is not something to be sneezed at.
Tomorrow brings another day to learn to walk with Jesus,
The Little one, known as Miss Sunshine
The moral of that story is God literally talked Moses into trusting Him. The moral of my story is I still have a lot to learn about faith and leadership. There was one teenager, and she wasn't able to stay for the discussion. So I joined the little kids, coloring, word-searching, fill in the blank-ing. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Here I was, ready to make these kids think, wrestle and really get the text. Maybe I studied the text for my own benefit. God knew I struggle with seeing the human circumstances and discounting the value of faith in what God will do if given a little space.
Maybe leadership isn't just having the best ideas and the loudest voice. Maybe leadership is more than having the right answers and the willingness to work. Maybe leadership is something I don't have yet.
Sometimes I feel like I'm running on a hamster wheel. I get frustrated because things here are rolling, but not very fast, and sometimes it feels like we're rolling in an ox cart, not a Honda. The people here are willing and eager to upgrade, but where do I even start? It's not like I'm a big experienced church administrator with several programs under my belt of experience. It's more like I just graduated from university and have dabbled in various areas of ministry. I see things that need some work... like maybe doing a few newer songs, or using an acoustic instead of an electric for accompaniment, or doing some kind of men's Bible study. This church is filled with wonderful women, but sometimes I feel like they run the church a little. Some would say that's just a more modern take on things. I'd say it's a bit of outdated feminism gone churchy.
So maybe this will take longer than I thought. Maybe it will be even more difficult than I imagined. Probably I will want to quit at some point and pack up my bags and catch the first plane out of town. Probably people will disagree with me. But most sure and definite are two things. 1. God is faithful to work and use those who are humble and willing. 2. Neals don't quit. Obviously, the first is most true and important, but the second is not something to be sneezed at.
Tomorrow brings another day to learn to walk with Jesus,
The Little one, known as Miss Sunshine
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