Happy Monday to all my Experience Sisters,
My questions for you this week are:
Who is waiting for you?
What will you do to reach them?
On our last update, I shared with you a lake experience I had with my boys, and how it made me remember that we should always be showing others how to “swim” without us. It’s the summer, so today is a new story that also relates to all the swimming we’ve been doing as well as to our spiritual lives. (I don’t know about you, but I’m glad God makes it simple for us!)
Last night, I plopped into a float directly off the rocks at the lake line. Usually we go in closer to the sandy shore so when I attempted to stand up in the shallows to move closer to my splashing boys, I was in for an icky surprise. My feet sank into deep, muddy silt while thick strands of algae-covered seaweed wrapped around my ankles and calves. EWWWWWWW! Immediately I jumped back on my float and determined it would be better to kick my way out to where they were than to walk through that mess.
I paddled and pulled my arms through the water to get to them. They were a good distance out in the water. It was exhausting, but at the same time, so much better than slogging through the who-knew-what at the bottom of the lake. Once I got to them, I laid my head back and listened as they played.
In a few minutes, I realized their voices had quieted.
My float, predictably, had drifted back to the rocks at the lake line. Again, my choices were paddle or slog. For me, paddling wins every time. Off I went. This cycle repeated multiple times. Paddle, float, drift, repeat.
Last week I sat on the shoreline. This week, they’d begged me join them in the water because they just wanted me there, and I was determined to do just that.
They were worth the effort.
We stayed at the lake until the sun sank behind the tree line and came home tired and satisfied, with them asking when we’d be able to do it again.
Here’s the part that stuck out to me:
If I stop thinking about how I am called to love those God has placed in my life, my natural tendency is to drift toward other things. It takes intention, energy, and focus to reach those around me and to stay close to them.
I am thinking beyond just our families or groups (although often, they are waiting, too). I am thinking of those just out of our reach in our neighborhoods, our communities, our lives.
I’m referring to those we may have to work to build relationships with or who we may have to walk through messy things to reach.
We must be conscious enough to stop our drift and be purpose-filled to pursue those God longs to love through us.
We may take different approaches. Some might have just walked through the mess instead of paddled. Another would have ditched the float and swam out to them. Others could canoe. We all have unique ways we are called to move to those who need us, and the ways we get there are much less relevant than the decision and commitment we make to get there.
Who’s waiting for you?
What will you do to reach them?
If you haven’t signed up for the 5-week Relational Evangelism coaching sessions, that’s the place to begin. It’s the best part of The Stonecroft Experience, and this is the only place it’s available. I highly encourage you to join a group today. Here’s the link to register for the next group, beginning on Thursday, July 9.
Here is this week’s call schedule!
Click the image below to go to the clickable document.
Last week:
Tuesday’s TSE community call was FANTASTIC as we talked about a tool for determining what we must keep and what can be changed in order for us to stay on mission.
Friday’s Front Porch was a round table on raising our effectiveness. Here’s the link to that recording.
Suzy Shepherd
Director of Engagement