All that I am......

I have been walking pretty close with a few families over the past couple years and have had countless experiences with students from church, in school, college students here on campus, "MyKids" and so many others that have shared things in their life where I just want to be able to fix things and make things right. I have often times struggled with those feelings. Feelings of not knowing what to say or what to do. Thoughts that keep me up at night trying to figure out how I could make things better or change the outcome of their struggles. Times of how do I gather the energy up to do what is on my heart to do? Add on top of all I am going through in life with myself and my own family and you can just see how complicated it gets, how overwhelming it can feel and sometimes I feel like I can't do anything right or not enough of what people think I need to be doing or not doing. Life in ministry is tough. God never said this was going to be easy and when we make a decision to fight for those around us, to shine for Jesus and walk with others to be their "Balcony" person .... Satan comes at you and attacks... he gets to your family, he gets to your wife/husband and children, he knows us and he knows how to get to us.
One of the things I am learning through all this is - God is not leaving me here where I am at, He is teaching me through all this, and most importantly - I don't have to have all the answers. Being the Waffle that I am - I want to fix stuff - its a guy thing but sometimes fixing is not part of the solution.
I would not be a good steward in following Jesus if I was pointing people to myself. I have to be there to listen, to walk with, to be authentically available, and simply guide those around me, my family, friends, MyKids, students at church and whoever else - to their potential in Christ. I also have to recruit some trusted adults to help me do this because I can't do this alone. I have to have the blessings of my wife Carol in order for me to lead in our home and all who come to our home. I have to have the blessings of parents if I am to reach to their children. There is a LOT at stake here and there is nothing more important than a persons salvation nor nothing more important than a word or conversation at the right time, in the right context, with the correct motives to show a person that they are important and that they matter to God....
God loves us right where we are (in life) but there is more to it than that. He uses us as we are but He also uses us in who we will become. God is not done with your story and everything in your life is part of Him shaping and molding you. We must simply give Him our all. God, what are you wanting to do through me? Who are you shaping me to be? Are you a person of dreams, infinite possibility and promise? God sees you that way no matter if you see yourself that way or not.
I look around me today and see myself cheering on so many from the balcony of life. See there are 3 types of people in your life. You have the audience - the people in life taking up room. They are in your classes, at your work, at the ballgames, at the mall walking around but they are just people. Maybe you say hey maybe not. Maybe you know them maybe not. They are going about their life and interaction is minimal. You also have basement people - those are the people who are always negative, they drag you down, they steer you to themselves and have only themselves to think about. These are people who snub you when they are around a different crowd. These folks would turn on you when you needed them, they talk about you behind your back and these kinds of relationships usually are one sided. Pleasing them usually means you being unhappy, confused and often times hurt. Then you have the Balcony people -these are people that are cheering you on in life. They have the CAN DO attitude and can't is not part of their vocabulary. They encourage you and speak high levels of promise in you. They are the ones when you see them and you say to yourself - "I hope they have time for me today". They are the ones that lead you in truth, they are always asking what they could do for you, they bring you through the tough places and they shine so bright and you can't get enough of them because they are honest and have your best interest at heart. Jesus pours from them and life is exciting because life steps up.
So as I continue "mywalk" with student ministry, family ministry and lead my family, MyKids and others ... I don't have to fix, I don't have to have the answers, I dont have to feel unable to help or change anything - all I have to do is point them to Jesus. Help them realize the potential for them with God. Its not so much who we are today but who we are to become.
Thankful and blessed - for my conversations this week where I didn't have the words nor the answers but put in a place to just listen because I felt incapable of sharing some level of wisdom or something insightful. God then shows me His way ..... and I am thankful He did.

All that I am from the balcony for you,
Lonnie