Today began with prayer for many people battling serious infirmities. The list before me is longer than I have seen it in a long time. My mug of Door County Country Morning Coffee seems to be lonely. I think is needs the company of some Cheerios and dried cherries.
Psalm 71:18 Even when I am old and gray, O God do not forsake me, Until I declare your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come.
Not very long ago my best friend and I were talking about our church which we often do. He had been asked by someone at the church if a big trailer of his could be used for a hayride event. Unfortunately his trailer has seen better days and is not in a good enough condition to be used. He and I started to reminisce about days gone by when the two of us used to organize a large hayride on a Friday night in October for many years. We would travel to a ranch not all that far away where they specialized in events like hayrides and bonfires. We would include a "chili dump" along with the hayride and bonfire. We always had a time of song and a little devotional. For many years it was attended very well. Then for two years straight the weather dampened the event in a big way. We took that as a sign to just stop doing the event and it has been a long time since we even thought about it.
Now two old guys like to chew the fat and remember days gone by. I personally know this man to be a "man of prayer" and I consider myself to be no stranger to the prayer process. October tends to be a very busy month for both of us. It leads us to the first Friday of November when the Men's Ministry which we head up at our church sponsors a steak feed for the guys at church. The men invite friends and family to the meal and a we always have a "Key Speaker" there to address the men with a word from above. This is a huge event and is always well attended. We seem to be on pace now for the event to be quite large this next month. A week or so ago I was worried about the low figures that had signed up. It looked bleak. Sometimes I worry too much.
As we remembered days gone by both of us said to each other "we need to pray about bringing that hayride back next year, God willing" There was silence and I could tell what he was thinking because my thoughts were the same. " We aren't spring chickens anymore, two events a month apart and can we do this?" I have been praying ever since and have peace about doing it. The steak feed is a monster of a project to get our arms around and it is always well received and blessed by God. The hayride on the other hand is not that big of a deal and is a good opportunity for us to teach a couple other men or women how to do it and take some responsibility for serving God as well as others. This is exactly what a few men and women need. We would equip them and guide them through the process as well as help them with the event, but not take on all the work. I believe we need to start training our replacements which is completely Biblical.
Friends, we need to engage others in the Lord's work and train the next generation to take responsibility for reaching others for God. We are long overdue in the process of teaching them to lead within the walls of our churches and homes.
My friend and I are on the same page with God and we need for Him to work out the details for next year. I am sure He will provide the leaders we need as we continue in prayer.
How about you? Are you in the position of leadership? You sure are! If you have children or grandchildren, are you teaching them to take over for you and lead the family? Are you training new leaders within your church? Part of leadership is to foster growth in your circle of influence.
Food for thought.
Marty
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