Stewarding Your Call

One of the big takeaways I got from attending my annual conference is the call to steward my gifts and dreams well.  Over the weeklong conference, I was reminded of the many dreams and desires that He has placed in my heart. I have always loved history, have been drawn to study systems and how they affect government decisions.  It is a dream of mine to testify before the United States Congress or be a keynote speaker at a United Nations conference.  I want to be able to knowledgably speak into government decisions, to encourage policy makers to bring Kingdom principles into reality.  What does that look like?  How will I do that?  When will I do that?  Absolutely not clue.

What I do know is that He is calling me to steward that passion and dream.  What that means in the short run is to devote my time to learning more about global politics, spending more time reading the news and understanding situations that I am not familiar with.  It means doing what I can (learning) until I am given more clear direction for the future.

So while I was in Bangkok after conference I spend the afternoon browsing the bookstore and purchasing books to help me be a better global citizen.  Here is the pile of books I amassed in Thailand, 8 in all.  My suitcase barely shut but I am 

excited to learn all that I can.  I’ve already finished 3 of the books in this picture!

Woven Together

This month I attended my annual conference.  The theme was woven together and we had works of art displayed around the room highlighting this theme.  At the front of the Conference room there was a big collage with almost 200 pieces that were put together throughout the week using materials from the different locations people in my org. serve in.  At first the task seemed daunting, but when everyone chipped in and did 10-20 minutes’ worth of collage making, by the 5^th day the entire piece was done.  Here it is below.

Another amazing piece was a tapestry made of cloth materials from 9 different locations.  The professional artist, Annika, started the weaving but then the rest of us were encouraged to weave during worshp times or throughout the day.  A few days in this stunning work of art was created. 

I love this piece not only because it is beautiful but I feel like it is so symbolic of the Kingdom.  We have people from numerous backgrounds/histories with passions, gifts, skills, and abilities that are as diverse as possible.  If you put it under a microscope, various parts might not look like they fit together.  However, when you pull back into the entire tapestry that is His Kingdom, you see how much we all need each other and how we were created to work together and depend upon each other.

Though none of the fabrics on the piece were created by a fabric artist to be a perfect match to material produced across the world, under the skill hand of the artist it become a master piece.  I think one of my big take away from this year’s conference is how dependent we need to be upon each other.  I might have another person’s calling, but they have principles and teachings that I can learn from to be a better servant in my own area.  Life is more beautiful with variety. 

Cultivating Leaders

I love being able to work with a people from a variety of different backgrounds.  One of my favorite things in life it to help people understand that they are much more than what their circumstances say they are.  I consider it a privilege to walk alongside people and help them better understand their gifts, passions, and what Dad is calling them to do.

One thing that I have encountered recently is that people have very limited perspectives of leadership.   For most of the world, the leader is the person in the front, with all the power and authority to make decisions.  This is particular true for China.  Not to say that there is not a truth in the above description, but it severely limits the definition of leadership.  Some of the most powerful leaders are quiet people, diligently doing their work and being strong examples for change. They never said anything from the front but their character and influence has massive effects.  Take the Son, for example. He was not considered a leader by His contemporaries, but He clearly had influence and changed history.  

I am currently walking alongside a number of women who do not see their own leadership abilities.  I am trying to encourage them not to limit their definition of leadership, but look at the different ways that people follow their example.  I am longing for the day when these women can boldly say “I am a leader” and believe it. That is why I love this quote from John Quincey Adams:

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, become more and do more, you are a leader.”

This is the type of leader I want to be and actively encourage those around me to be.  Who are you leading?  In what ways are you inspiring others?