I really enjoy my work. It's exhileratingly exhausting. The challenges are often more than I can emotionally bear. One thing I continue to enjoy about it is it never gets old. And, I don't either.
However, I do find my role changing. One of the more obvious is I am noticing the need to be less of a spark plug and more of a gasoline can carrier. Where I love motivating the troops, I love now the opportunity to throw gasoline on the younger ones' ideas. Yesterday I sat in my office with two church leaders 20 years my junior. They had visions and dreams of what adult Bible classes could be. How exciting. How not like what I had organized over the years. My secret/quiet goal toward them from the beginning was to do everything I could to toss gasoline onto the Holy Spirit fire within them.
I may be 59, but I don't want to get in the way of wild horses leading in the kingdom. Enough of taming and domesticating the ambitions of good young men and women. We've done that along the way, and we are losing some of our best to discouragement. I think they have tremendous ideas. I'm not here to tone them down. I'm here to see their fires keep burning.
Lord give us the wisdom from above to know when to carry a water bucket and when to carry a gasoline can. Speak words of life....and then expect the fires of compassion to roar with extravagant hope!
6 comments:
Let me tell you, Terry doesn't just spread gasoline with a little one gallon can. He uses a crop duster, baby, and people all over are up in flames in part because of the Spirit's work through him.
Thank you, Terry, for being the encourager that you are.
Thank you for being such an example to the younger generation and for being such an encourager to them. God continues to use you in great and mighty ways. I am so glad it never gets old for you, because your words are such a blessing to so many. You are more than just a spark plug or the gasoline carrier. You are one of the brightest vessels I know that God uses in His kingdom. I love to sit at His feet as He speaks through you. You are a great blessing! I am so glad you are blogging. It gives me a chance to sit there more often. love ya!
You know...there's this saying...
If you always do what you've always done...you'll always get what you've always got.
It's amazing to see that you are ignighting the fires of the younger generation at church and it speakes volumes of your spirit, your love for this congregation, and your love for God and what He is doing in all of you. It would be easy to sit there and take charge...but instead, you impower others to embrace their gifts and you lift them up with your love and support! I admire you friend!
I love to hear that. My brother got a Bible degree from Lipscomb and couldn't beg the elders at the church we grew up in to let him lead a prayer or read scripture, much less preach! God bless you as you bear with us younger folks! We certainly need encouragement, mentoring, and a little bit of gas. We sometimes can provide a spark if just given the opportunity.
gasoline that is...we often have enough gas on our own!
Terry,
A wonderful, wonderful post! What a great vision for any of us (I am 53) who are around younger dreamers.
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