Friends who Challenge Me!

A few weeks ago I went down to Mexico City to visit our brand new partnership. I met my friend Craig several years ago at a conference in Beverly Hills. I remember being kind of upset that I got stuck in the distance ministry group (it didn’t sound quiet as glamorous as the groups that were reaching the cities). We sat down at the table and this guy from Nebraska started to share. I have to confess, I didn’t even know where Nebraska was – the only images I had of Nebraska were very large football players (I watched them beat my beloved Vols in the Orange Bowl) and corn. I almost started to tune out this guy from Nebraska, until I realized that he was seeing some incredible things happen up in that corn state. From then on out, I became his groupie. I would email him asking him for advice on things and follow him around at conferences. Eventually we started to become friends. When our partnership became Mexico City, I became facebook friends with Joe Cross – the other city director. He seemed to be pretty young to be leading such a large scope and in my opinion he was too much of a fan of the word “awesome”.

On Fat Tuesday, we loaded up on a plane and headed to Mexico City. That night our team had dinner with Joe and Craig, I immediately knew I was with men who would challenge my thinking and my faith. That week ended up being an incredible week of talking about challenges, dreaming about what could be and just laughing a whole lot.

After I returned from Mexico, I realized that there are two things I really admire about both of those guys. The first thing is their faith that moves them to action. There are over 700 college campuses in Mexico City and well over a million college students, but I am convinced that Joe and Craig really believe that God can reach that city. It’s evident in the way they live, in the way they show up on campus, in the way they coach the stint team and in the way they look for creative solutions to the challenges of the city. They kept saying, “I really believe in divine appointments" or "I really believe that God is going to show up today”. It was exciting to be around such men of faith and it challenged me to take a deep look at my own life. What do I believe God for? Am I simply satisfied with the amazing things he’s done in New Orleans (and they have been amazing) or do I constantly believe him for more? Do I go on campus expecting God to show up and create divine appointments or do I just go about my day, doing the things I need to do? Am I just sitting around solving organizational problems, or am I engaged in the mission of reaching every student? Even though I love new things and new challenges, I think I get stuck in this attitude that says, “well, it’s March, we don’t try to start ministry in March, we just sustain what we have.” I have a feeling that Craig and Joe will be walking on campus believing God to do something until the day they leave Mexico City.

The second thing that I admire about these guys is that their lives seem to be defined by what they give, not by what they get. I wasn’t around Joe as much, but from the stories I heard him tell, he is a giver. I was really impressed with Craig. On the last day we were in Mexico City, we went to visit him at his apartment. His neighbors were out in the street talking to him. They invited us into their home. It was obvious that this was a place where Craig was loved. I watched as he engaged with the family, as he cared for the sick grandmother and as he laughed hysterically at their banter. Later in the day we had to drop back by his apartment to pick something up. The neighborhood kids immediately surrounded his car. He didn’t just rush into his place to grab what he needed. He listened, he cared for them and they couldn’t get enough of him. I remember sitting in the car thinking, “he’s making an impact on the lives of these kids”. Again, this challenged me. Who do I make an impact on outside of my “ministry” to college students? I think I look at people based on what they can do for me, how they can be “used” to advance God’s kingdom. Wow, even when I write it down I realize how ugly that seems and how far from the heart of God I’ve strayed.

Last week I was spending some time processing through some of the things that I’m currently dissatisfied with in ministry. I could probably feel this with any ministry I would work with – sometimes it feels like all I do is solve problems and come up with plans (which ironically create more problems). I was asking Craig some questions via email and just throw
ing my thoughts out there – I think I ended one of my emails saying, “I’m just ready to leave it all” or something like that. His immediate response was “Don’t leave….let’s go reach the world”. I couldn’t stop thinking about that. There’s something in the way he lives and ministers that really makes me think we can really do it, we can really reach the world. I want to live more like that. I want my job to not just be about ministry, but life to be about giving because God has given me so much to give. He gave me his son and he put his spirit within me to live his life through me. How can I give him any less than all of me?

I’m thankful for the people who God puts into my life to challenge me. (Even the ones from the corn state and the ones who really like the word awesome). These men are only two in a long list of people that God has used to sharpen me. If I were only around people like me, I know I would be satisfied with a small, self-centered life. My friends challenge me to embrace all God has for me.