Smeagol is Free!
A hermitudinal view of...stuff...


9.13.2006  

Thoughts on God: Leadership

The week was probably the second most enjoyable of the summer. It wasn't the most enjoyable because, quite frankly, any week at home is going to be better than any week in Kentucky, no matter how good The Middle of Nowhere is treating me. I was at Cedarmore, and I was tired. I was the Boyce Ambassador "on duty" that week, doing a little recruiting and whatever else needed to be done. In essence, I was the Rent-a-Staffer.

Throughout my five days at camp, different impressions kept coming to me over and over again: the clarity of heart when one is alone with God, the beauty of God's creation, and the simple desire to enjoy Him. Most glorious of all, however, was the unending, sacrificial and joyful service the Cedarmore staffers displayed my entire time there.

That week I did a decent amount of thinking and writing, and a lot of what I jotted down reflected upon that servanthood. An excerpt from a blog post reads as follows:

I find myself thinking constantly, "Wow, I have the easy job for the summer."

The staffers here are on their fourth week of camp, which equates to their fourth set of campers. The ebb and flow has certainly taken its toll; illness and injuries are certainly felt, but even more, I've seen hints and shadows of life continuing in all its painful and lonely certainty. In the midst of it all, I've witnessed a constant spirit of selfless servitude from these crazed staffers. And for the guy who has been monikered "Rent-A-Staff," this portrait of Jesus' heart beats in such a way as to pump vitality and eternal depth into everything I see.

I'm glad I'm here. I'm glad I have a Lord who does not cease to amaze, a Lord who finds joy in the wondrous complexity of the tiniest molecule, yet is immense enough to paint His creation across countless canvases we call galaxies. I'm glad my Lord is one who is infinitely wiser than I am, who delights in weaning me off the sin of self-reliance, who shows me the sweetness of His patience in teaching me how faithful He is in His love. Like Scott said, it's
too good to be true; yet, true it is.

That's why they persevere, that's why they keep getting up each morning, pouring out their lives for Jesus. It's not because they have an immense measure of joy welling up in their hearts at every moment. Believe me, I've seen the puffiness of the eye-baggies, the reluctance of their limps; these staffers are very much human and finite. No, what keeps them going is the love their Lord has for them, for us, and the fact that His grace truly is sufficient. He meets them, and they, in turn, keep looking for Him.


I still feel much the same about those staffers. I'm sure that most of them have no idea just how much they smelled or looked like Jesus to me; in fact, I'm sure they don't realize that they still do. That's a part of what made them so wonderful to be around. They were very much aware that they were feeble, deeply in need of grace to go on. That conviction was abundant in their very actions, and I could only sit and pray for much the same to take place within me.

In the weeks following my experience at Cedarmore, I thought about servanthood a great deal. The humility on display was encouraging and convicting, and I was grateful to the LORD for allowing me to take in its sweet aroma. In recent weeks, I've had to switch from the summer to the school gears. As such, my thoughts have centered a great deal on leadership, particularly my own leadership role. In reflecting upon the superb servitude I saw this summer in contrast to the leadership I so mightily struggle with, I've come to see how the heart of a leader must beat and bleed with the desire and humilty to serve. Is humble service easy? No. Is leading through humble service easy? No. Is leading possible without humble service? No.

Chip Collins is fond of saying, "You'll never look like Jesus more than when you're serving." It's true; Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, led from the position of lowliest servitude. How can we, mere man, expect to do otherwise?

posted by Bolo | 11:14 PM
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