Using the inadequate

When I came to Cannon Beach this summer, I was hoping to grow and be stretched.  Well, that time has come.  As I mentioned in the last post, every Friday we present the gospel to the kids, pray with them individually, and give them the invitation to talk to a leader about their lives and/or committing to Jesus.  For the past seven years, they've done it with middle school and high school combined and that's what we've done so far this summer.  But this week, we are going to change it up and keep the age groups separate, so that we can have a time with the kids that we've spent all week getting to know.  The point of all this is that this Friday, in three days, I am going to to present the gospel to 25 middle schoolers.  There are three Midkids staff on that day, and because this is the first week and I'm the most comfortable presenting, it'll be me.  Actually it will hopefully be God through me, because I have no idea what I'm doing.  I can teach a lesson, I can share my stories, but I feel like giving the gospel message in a meaningful and effective way is something that I'm completely unprepared to do.  I know lots of verses and I know what the gospel means to me, but I want to get the right message across to the kids and I want it to be God, not me.  I have two days to pray like crazy and work on my message.  The theme is transformation and I am also going to make it clear that at some point, following Jesus is a choice that you have choose yes or no, and then be all in.  Then I'm going to give the kids the invitation to commit or recommit their lives to Jesus, and each kid will get prayed for by a staff member.

I love working with kids and I've done it for a long time, but I'm no teacher.  I can do it, but teaching is not my forte.  I also am no speaker.  I like speaking to groups, and maybe God gives me important things to say, but I don't think speaking is a particular gift of mine.  That's why it's so cool that God still gives me opportunities to practice these skills and teach kids.  I am inadequate by myself, but God can still use me!  It reminds me of the story of Moses and Aaron in Exodus 4.  God tells Moses that he's the one to bring the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, and God gives Moses some miraculous signs (staff to snake, water to blood, etc) to show Pharaoh the power of God.  But Moses still isn't too comfortable with that idea and in verse 10 he says, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant.  I am slow of speech and tongue."  But God comes right back at him, saying, "Who gave man his mouth?  Who makes him deaf or mute?  Who gives him sight or makes him blind?  Is it not I, the Lord?

"Now go, I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say." (v. 11-12)

Unfortunately Moses' story has a slightly different ending than mine.  He still wasn't convinced and evoked the anger of God, and the Lord told Moses that his brother Aaron could do the speaking instead.  But I am deciding to trust God and do it myself.  Even though God wasn't speaking directly to me, I know he will do the same.  He will help me speak and teach me what to say.  I am not equipped to do this message on my own, but God is going to be by my side, and if I am invested and lost in him and his word in the days before my message, he will speak through me to those kids.

I want to be a missionary, and whether God calls me to the full-time mission field or not, the gospel message is something I need to be prepared to share.  I feel like everything in my life, all my spiritual growth up to this point, has been preparing me for this.  I still don't feel ready, but I trust that God will prepare me in his time.

In his time, in his time

He makes all things beautiful in his time

Lord please show me every day

As you're teaching me your way

And I'll do just what you say

In your time.

(Maranatha Music)