Thank You for our life group leader...

November 18, 2004

Last night at life group was good. ____ is so patient with us as we are, I believe, slowly catching on to the vision God has given him in leading us. Poor ____, good thing he can “doodle!” We so easily get caught up in a certain point or wander off-topic… and he patiently lets us kind of blow off steam and then gently but firmly guides us back on-track. I think he is wise to let people talk things out, share their little “ah-ha!” moments and the stories that are helping them understand, letting them work through to at least a beginning of understanding of where God is leading through him.

And he produces some amazing “doodles” while he patiently waits for the others to “catch it”… and he helps us see how our bits of illumination (and sometimes our total off-track moments) relate to the path he is pointing out to us. Lord, help me to listen and be patient and focused and kind and firm like ___! What a wonderful example and role model You have placed in our midst. Thank You, Lord! Thank You, too, for the way he gently deals with people’s concerns which are often dangerously close to gossip and slandering. Thank You for his wisdom, Lord. Help me to learn this kind of kindness and wisdom, Lord, from You and Your Word and Your Spirit, and from the example set by ____.

Lord, we seem to be so afraid to do things like set goals, in case they don’t turn out and we are disappointed. Well, Lord, help us to get so close to You that our goals are Your goals, and let us trust in Your ways and timing, so we will not be disappointed, but rather see Your path as an incredible adventure with long term purposes (laid out in Your word) and in the short term, lots of surprises along the way. It is exciting to see what You are going to do!

Thank You for the good prayer time we had last night. At least we are praying and most of us are participating. That is cool! You are doing Your work. Thank You, too, for people beginning to get a glimmer of what it might really mean to be a church.

I really sense that You have brought this little group together for a reason. We are all kind of different, and we are people who aren’t content to go with the status-quo even if we are kind of hesitant to step out and move in another direction at the same time. Thank You for ____’s direction and leadership.

In Jesus’ name, amen.