Where You're Going

“I like my stuff. It’s mine! I made it (or at least I think I did) or it was given to me…and I deserve it! It’s for me! And you can’t have it!”

I’d like to say that was what I heard an unruly toddler say to her mom recently. But that was me. Talking to God.

Or at least it probably sounded something like that to Him.

But thankfully, He’s patient.

Sometimes being asked to do things for the Kingdom is really easy. Like if someone would have asked me to serve as a singer at church…no problem. I feel like I’m gifted and comfortable there. And there a big part of me that REALLY likes performing. (I’m fully aware that leading worship is not about performance…just being honest here)

But my most recent invitation to serve in a new way was through a program we call Kids Leadership Experience. It’s a nine month program for 4th and 5th graders where we learn more about what walking with God is all about.

It’s big, important stuff like engaging the scriptures, talking with God and serving others. And not only do we teach the kids to do it, we talk about the heart behind it.

It’s a big commitment for kids, parents, and the twelve adult “coaches” involved in KLE.

This weekend we celebrated our nine month journey by just talking about God’s goodness and how He did more than we could ask or imagine through the experience. We hugged and cried and laughed. We all left knowing the sacrifices were worth it.

God changed my heart in so many areas during the nine months of pouring into these kids. But the biggest way was just by showing me to a new level how much more important commitments like this are than doing every game I’m offered.

Being “needed” for games, pleasing people employing me and the promise of financial security were things God asked me to lay down for this journey.

And I fought it. I gritted my teeth as I said “no” to games I was asked to do, and “yes” to this journey.

But those games couldn’t provide the joy that working with these kids and these other coaches did.

I believe God is always asking us to say “yes” to something new and scary. Something that will make us closer to what we can be. It’s going to mean sacrificing something. It could be time, money, status, pride…but when you lay those things down He’ll give you something so much better.

What is He asking you to lay down right now? And what are you going to do about it?