Last Wednesday morning I begin to see the signs of that friendly 48 hour bug that has been going around. I knew somehow worked it's way into my digestive track. By 5:30 that evening, I began praying to the porcelain god. When I got home, I plopped on the couch with the remote and one of my wife's Tupperware bowls. I turned on the TV and found a movie that took me back, way back to 1984. It was the Karate Kid! In between pukings, I began to think about a few devotional thoughts as it related to the movie...
The conflict in the Karate Kid (and every movie has a conflict, it's what makes us watch), is that Daniel, the new kid in school, has a hard time getting along with the boys of the Cobra Kia Dojo. One day riding home on his bike, Daniel is forced off the road. Landing at the bottom of the hill, he finds his bike ruined. In an outburst of anger and frustration, Daniel throws his bike in the dumpster. Then our favorite character shows up - Mr Miyagi, the apartment complex repairman! He fixes the bike and stands it up in front of the door where Daniel and his mother live.
To Daniel's suprise, he finds the bike, knocks on Mr. Miyagi's door and asks if he fixed his bike. I love Miyagi's response, "Aye". I guess that's Okinawa for, "Yeah it was me!" Inside his shop are a few small miniature trees. You know what they are, BONSAI trees. Bonsai is a delicate hobby that takes a lot of something we don't have, "patience". This Bonsai tree took 30 years to grow. I'm not sure I could have stuck with it that long. With my ADD I'm not sure if I could keep it up for 30 minutes! Daniel, asks Mr. Miyagi about the trees. After telling him about them, he hands a pair of clippers and says, "go for it!" WHAT? If I worked on a delicate tree for one year much less, 20 or 30, I'm not sure I'd hand over the clippers to a 15 year old. Mr. Miyagi saw something in Daniel that most of us wouldn't see - he saw potential. He was willing to take a risk on him.
Beth Moore, in her book: "Get out of that pit". Made the point that God risked his name on us. God looked at us, and saw something... potential! So much that He took a risk on us! Sure we "cut off a branch or two that we probably shouldn't", but that's ok. It's ok to make mistakes. Who is it that God has brought into your path that you need to take a risk on. Spend some time with them, pray for them, and help them reach the full potential God has for them. Students, you're not exempt. You carry more leadership and influence than you think. Who has God brought into your path that you can encourage? You may be risking your reputation or "social status" by taking some time with them. Remember the risk God took on you!
"For everyone to whom much is given, from him
much will be required..." - Luke 12:48 (NKJV)
Did someone see the potential in you? What has God done in your life over the past 5 years? One thing is for sure, God spoke to someone and said, "I want you to encourage that one over there, I have huge plans for them and I want to use YOU to help them reach the potential I have for them." OK, not in so many words, but God's plan is to use people to develop people for His Glory. So, who it is? Your neighbor? Someone at the office? That classmate who sits next to you in math? That student who sits alone at lunch or on the bus? That middle schooler that is constantly around? Or maybe it's someone in church that God constantly brings to mind? Take the time this week to intentionally look for those whom God divinely brings into your world that need someone to take a risk on them. Again, remember that God took a risk on you.
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