Finding the Right Fit

In the past on this blog spot, I have written about the group of middle school boys whom I have been helping out with once a week. These guys are probably pretty typical of a number of young men at that age level; and when it comes to class room stuff and discipline, they just need a little more attention. The work has not always been successful. At times we have had to work hard at keeping these guys on task, and we have had to work hard at times to keep the peace between them when we have worked on projects. Yet over the last couple of weeks during my travels to Sebewaing, I have learned something from these young men that the church needs to remember and put into practice more. Let me explain.

Two weeks ago when I went to the school I found out that to help out the drama group from the high school, these middle schoolers were going to help build some of the props. I have to tell you that when I found out that we were going to start by making wooden swords, I was more than a little skeptical about the outcome. Yet these young men really took to the job. After the swords were cut out, they began to sand and shape the swords and each of them was really working hard. Over the course of that class and the next couple, there was a real sense of accomplishment and pride among these young men as they perfected the props they were working on. During the four months I had been working with them, I had never seen this level of concentration and work. It seems like this task was a perfect fit for the gifts they had. This was an avenue for these young men to "work" and to take education out of the class room and into practice more.

These concepts and ideas were a big part of the disciple making training that I went through last month. Over and over again it was emphasized that we must get our faith out of the class room and into the world much more through service to others. As we read in Philippians, we must "continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling". Loving God and showing that love by serving others is what we were created for. It will only be through finding the task that God has created us for that we will find real happiness in the Lord.

Please pray for a young man whom I met last week. He is out of school, and we had a brief conversation about getting him involved in one of the Life Transformation groups somehow here in the near future. Also continue to pray for the groups that are meeting -- that God would give clarity about what the future will look like.

Your Servant in Christ,

Brian