Brave Day #7: Be Present

I've been at Catalyst the last two days and it has been my favorite out of the Catalyst conferences I've been able to attend.  Seemed that there were less skinny jeans and graphic tees (= in my book that people were more themselves and less what they wanted to try to be!).  There was less hoopla ... now, don't get me wrong, Catalyst is known for its hoopla (this is 13,000 people with finger lights) ...

but this year there seemed to be a lesser amount of it, although there were really big poster boards that spelled out words (I mean, who figures that out in an arena of 13,000, not this girl).  Maybe it's more that I am in a different place this year ... and I kind of had some time to myself to digest the experience.  Yes, I am exhausted (although that might have something to do with getting up at 4:45 this morning to take cupcakes to G ... God bless GA HS teachers ... I could NOT do that everyday ... and HE gets up at 4 am!  every. day.  no wonder he's psycho some days!)  but, I digressed ... yes, I am tired, but I think my heart is in a much more open ... even hungry place and so much of what we heard these last two days cut straight to that heart!

And I am so still on the rollercoaster of emotions and fears.  The foreclosures in my neighborhood have all just sold ... I mean, why wouldn't they for a fraction of what they are worth??  But I am seeing new neighbors move in and think, I should take them cookies and introduce myself .. oh wait, but do I really live here??  And it makes me miss my house already.  Miss any house.

But again, I digress.

I loved what Andy Stanley said yesterday.  Always love what he has to say.  And the crux of it was that the more successful we become as a leader (i.e. the more we grow), the more inaccessible we become.  And it's just reality.  And so, one of the challenges he issued is

Do for one what you wish you could do or everyone.

Wow! That might be my new mantra!!  How freeing!  I am a rules kind of girl.  I've blogged about how I want things to be fair (well, at least until it is to my advantage when things are not).  And I've struggled with doing for someone what I could not do for everyone, especially when it came to ministry.  I've struggled with it, but then, I've also done it ... done for the ONE ... what I wish I could do for everyone.  Gavin and I've had lots of conversations about it over the years because while there would be a whole group of guys in his life, there was always that ONE who got more time and attention, who got the extra roadtrips and the weekly time.  And I struggled that you couldn't have "favorites" in ministry ... and Gavin lovingly pointed out that Jesus did!  Jesus did for the one, the three, the twelve, what He wished He could do for everyone.

Fair?  Nope, not really ... But we don’t need to be fair. [Yep. That's what he said.]


If we can do this, if we can walk this line, it will allow us to be engaged, but not overwhelmed.  If  we operate on the "if I do it for you, I'll have to do it for everyone" principle, we don't do "it" for anyone and we lose our heart, we forget what why we are doing what we are doing.

Andy offered a few tips as we attempt to walk this fine line:
•Go deep rather than wide
•Go long-term rather than short-term
•Go time, not just money

I know this is somewhat of a replay of yesterday, but we have to be brave to really be present in the lives of people around us.  It gets messy when we go deep  ... for the long haul ... and it takes time ... and it costs.  But it is so well worth it.  We're gonna get some flack when we do for the ONE what we wish we could do for everyone.  Someone will get jealous.  Someone will want "equal time" ... and sometimes we will just feel guilty.  Does anyone but me struggle with feeling like you cannot meet everyone's expectations? 

Just being present period takes courage.  Priscilla Shirer talked today about how we wish away our present.  Let's not do that.  Let's live here in today (tomorrow has way too much to worry about for my liking!).  Let's do for the ONE.  Who's your ONE gonna be?  Let's be brave enough to face today and let's be present for what God has for now.  Pretty crazy insane words for the fast paced world we live in.  But so much more crucial!