Never before had I pictured Jesus this way. I knew that he was a man, but in all of my imaginings I envisioned him as very serious, very stern, & to be honest a little unapproachable. When the Lone Ranger showed me this, this Jesus with his head tipped back in laughter...well something clicked. A chasm that I hadn't even known existed between the Lord & I all at once was gone. The Lone Ranger told me how when he read his Bible that he could now truly understand, & now I do too. When I read the parables, I can picture Jesus sitting there with his friends (disciples). I can envision the humor he found at their expense as they tried to decipher the riddles of his stories. I can see the mirth in his eyes, & I can even hear his deep belly laugh that this image portrays. Jesus is real to me now, & not only is he real but he is personal & approachable. One day the Lone Ranger, the Darlings, & I were heading to church jamming to Boston. As my girls wailed, "it's more than a feeling!" I grumbled about listening to the song for the umpteenth time (it's their absolute favorite). The Lone Ranger looked at me & said, "Can't you just picture Jesus & his buddies riding around in a jeep & singing this at the top of their lungs?" Instantly that image came alive in my mind. The Jesus I know would totally be muddin' in the bottoms with his friends, wailing to Boston or Journey. They'd pull over by the sandbar, grab their fishing poles, & lean back in the late afternoon sun. Their lightheartedness would grow serious, & Jesus would begin to open up to them about who he really was. His buddies would grow quiet as they realized whose company they were blessed to be in. Somebody would get a bite on their line & the somberness of the moment would be gone as they jumped up to see how big that fish was. Jesus would take out the hook & say, "see this is what I'm talking about. This is what my Dad wants you to do...but cast your line for men instead of catfish." Jesus has become more to me than a name on a page or even more than merely a revered Savior...He's become my friend. I do not believe it's sacrilegious to envision him in this way...no that's the very reason our Abba sent him to us...so we could relate to him. I want to help others to see him that way too.
Nearly 4 years ago the Lone Ranger & I began to serve a local youth ministry. It began quite nearly as a fluke but has grown into something big. In a tiny town that consists mostly of a church & a tavern, God has planted seeds. The local church came to own an old derelict high school building, & some teenage boys decided to use the hallway as a place to practice archery during the winter time. A godly man saw this as a good opportunity to mentor those young men, & from those meager beginnings a ministry was born. Young men began showing up to learn the art of archery & this godly man began pouring into their lives. Years later someone decided to play dodge ball in the old gym, & today on Thursday evenings WWIII rages in the form of 40-60 young men launching balls at one another. The godly man & founder of this ministry approached the Lone Ranger & asked him to utilize his teaching degrees in the form of a short message to the kids each week. My husband felt compelled to answer the call & for 4 years now he has been pouring into the youth in this town. From November to April, each Thursday evening, for an hour & a half, kids play dodge ball & shoot archery. Midway through we take a time out for snacks & for a short message. Two years ago if 15 kids came that was fantastic, & now the average is 50 each week. This has nothing to do with us & everything to do with Him. In this tiny town God is doing big things. We are endeavoring to build relationships with these young men & women, we are striving to show them Jesus. Our mentors have hearts of gold & take out of their own pockets to provide for this ministry. They have shared their passion with the Lone Ranger & I. We greatly want these kids to know the Lord. We greatly want seeds to be planted. We feel strongly that the way to do that is to be Jesus in their lives, & to show them that He is real...that He loves them....that He is approachable...that He is relatable. We want them to know that He laughs with them, that He cries with them. We want them to know that He hurts when they hurt & that He rejoices when they rejoice.
I have shared all of that with you because of this...tonight we being a new season of this ministry. Both the Lone Ranger & I feel that a great awakening is beginning, & I am asking you to partner with us...Each Thursday could you pray for these kids? The vast majority come from broken homes & near poverty. Most have lacked the love of a father, so how can they know of Abba's great love? Please pray for the Lone Ranger. Pray for the Lord to speak to him & guide him in the sharing of the Word. Pray for wisdom & answers when the questions come. Pray for protection against the Evil One. Pray that God's Will will be done. I've never before felt such a sense of urgency to lift up this ministry, but I do now. Please join me in appealing to the Father for the lives of the youth...I greatly appreciate your faithfulness & your unity with us.
Be Blessed :o)
Adding your ministry to my prayer list!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much & thank you for your comments on the blog...they are an encouragement to keep writing! Hope you & your sweet pea are doing well!
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