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This week I am volunteering at a youth Bible day camp. My friend and I are running a teamwork station for the younger kids, ages 6-9 and today was parachute day. Remember the HUGE colorful parachutes from camp or gym class when you were younger? They are awesome. And today was great...but so challenging.
At the very beginning of the game I gave them two rules:
1) Your hands must hold the parachute the entire time. No letting go.
2) If anything falls out of our parachute, let it go and a counselor will get it.
Then we began to play our game of making "soup" with our parachute. Our pot was the parachute and we threw all kinds of "ingredients" (a.k.a. beach balls, pool noodles, wiffle balls, etc} into our pot and stirred it all around. If the rules were followed, this game would be so simple and take 5 mins. But... they did not follow the rules. I would say, "remember to hold on to your handle," they would repeat it back to me, and then immediately let go and crawl under the parachute or go to chase a ball that flew off! Really?!? I felt body begin to tense up from anger and the desire to yell at them rise. It was frustrating to be blatantly disobeyed. The day proved to be an opportunity to see if I choose to walk in my own flesh or walk in the Spirit. It was a true test of my patience. I often am told by others that I am patient. And I like to think that is true of me. But today made me wonder--am I really patient or have I become a master of putting myself in places where it is easy to be patient? Am I really loving? Or do I just put myself in situations where it is easy to love in my own strength rather than through the Holy Spirit? Though the day was hard, I'm grateful. It gave me a chance to think about how often I do things that appear good out of my own strength rather than out of the Spirit's abilities. I want to put myself in more situations where I am forced to let go of control and surrender to the Spirit's leading. And that is my challenge for you today. Place yourself in a situation that truly forces you to rely on the God's strength rather than your own. Paul said it really well in 2 Corinthians 12:9....
Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
When is the last time you've been in a place of weakness? Is it time to step out of your comfort?
