“Walk with me”
We all know someone who thinks they can do it all. Right? Someone who thinks they know best, that they alone can accomplish the task, they have all the answers, they are right. Well, as much as I hate to admit it, that someone is me.
I often think I know best…but I don’t.
I usually can accomplish it alone…but I shouldn’t.
I don’t have all the answers…but I convince myself I do.
I’m not right near as much as I’d like to think.
There are a lot of “I’s” in those statements. But sometimes we have to look inward and examine ourselves (even when painful) if we want to grow and become better versions of ourselves. When I read Paul’s letters to Timothy, I’m always touched by Paul’s desire for Timothy to become everything he is capable of becoming. Paul leaves no doubt his expectations are high. He truly believes in Timothy’s abilities. Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12 “…but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity…” WOW!!! Talk about expectations! Paul goes on to say in 1 Timothy 4:15 “Be diligent in these matters, give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do , you will save both yourself and your hearers”.
Paul was leading Timothy…teaching Timothy to be a leader to others.
Recently while visiting with a new friend, she made a comment that has really stuck with me. Due to a family moving, she had been asked to temporarily take over the elementary coordinator position at their home congregation. While taking care of this opportunity, she was actively looking for someone to hand it off to. In our conversation she made this comment…”I asked her to walk with me”. Such a simple, profound, statement.
“I asked her to walk with me”. My oftentimes too hard heart cracked a little bit. How many times had I missed opportunities to say “Walk with me”? How many times had I chosen to just “do it myself”. How many opportunities to teach, to lead had been missed? How many times was someone waiting to be asked…and is still waiting? I’m afraid too many to count. It’s hard to teach old dogs new tricks (or old women like me 🙂 ) but it is possible, if we are willing to learn. There are a lot of Timothy’s out there. Younger women who are willing, capable and just waiting for someone to say “Walk with me”. Women God has prepared for “such a time as this”.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” God has prepared our work for us. He puts opportunity in our path, He puts PEOPLE, in our path. He expects us, NEEDS US, to notice those opportunities, those PEOPLE, and use them for HIS GLORY. We are expected to lead others…to teach others…to notice opportunities, to ask others to “Walk with me”. That is HIS PLAN…it is my responsibility to follow that plan.
I’m going to sleep tonight with a new prayer on my heart…a new desire.
A desire to start fresh…a desire to say “Walk with me”
Listen to His Voice,
Lee Ann
#shelteredingrace
Cheri
June 20, 2019Or as I say (with my bum knee) “Swagger a bit with me!” Yes, we need our tribe without whom we would be lonely and desperate – not tho mention a to-do list that would would be unrealistic and TOTALLY unattainable!
Lee Ann Kemp
June 21, 2019I love my tribe! What I need to work on is enlarging and trusting others to join it. For me, it is easier to go to “tried and true” and yet we are called to bring others along. Always a work in progress 🙂