mentors

I’ve often felt lonely in this church planting thing. Not only because we started from scratch having not been planted from another church. But also because we went down a road less traveled. Or within our denominational family, the road never traveled.

I’ve had to learn how to filter through advice given to me. To appreciate the loving heart behind the words and to understand that much of it doesn’t apply to us. I’ve had mentors that have not understood at all what we were trying to do and yet because of my natural [possibly cultural] deference to those older/wiser, I’ve taken input… and at times to my demise.

I’m slowly figuring it out – though not without tons of mistakes. Figuring out that my ear needs to be finely tuned to the voice of God. There’re a few times where his voice has been so clear as if we were sitting together in the quiet of my living room. And other times where I’m not sure if he even wants to show up for our date. Most of the time, it’s somewhere in between. I think that’s been the most critical lesson learned. Listening to Jesus over man… even when man has planted 15 churches and has the title of Big Dog, PHD.

But God’s brought along a mentor in this new season – a man that I only connect with a few times a year. But each time he speaks prophetically to the heart and is sacrificially willing to pour his life into mine. Frankly he doesn’t know me that well, but he feels the Spirit-leading to do so. It’s the right season for this new mentor to come along. Thanks so much Mike.

I remember when we first started planting – the only thing that I remember God saying to me after he said “GO” was… “I’ll be with you.” He’s kept that promise. I’ve never been without older men who were wiser [OB, Joel, Bill, Duane] – though some for a shorter season – and willing to pour into me. And the times where the wisdom of older men wasn’t able to sooth the wound… it was God voice that I needed to hear. And it was his reminder to me that it really should be his voice that I needed to be attune to above all others.

You’ve never left Jesus… you kept your promise. Thanks…