"Run It..." Taking my place as a son...

Excited and at the same time feeling a bit rusty from overseas travel, I walked into SFO with my wife by my side... I approached Pastor Sunhee, she was discussing with the person at the bag check-in spot, and she turned around saying, "They won't let me get on the flight because my passport needs to be renewed 6 months before it expires and it expires in 2 months..."

"That's hecka dumb!" I thought... So what's that mean for the trip? Hold on, God didn't provide for us to go and not deliver? What about rescuing Masi from the slums? What about reaching the people in Mentaiwi? Does that mean I need to go to Mentaiwi with the team? Then what about the orphans & people of Nias? Hold up, God, how you gonna work this out?

It's crazy... this is what I had been trained for, to step up in faith, expectation and ascend to the place that God has called me to occupy as a son in every situation. But, I'm not gonna lie. For a moment my stomach dropped, the feelings of spiritually rustiness began to mock me, doubt tried creeping in, even pride whispering, 'yea, you get to lead,' tried to lay hold of my heart. And then the truth of God began to rise inside of me. "I'm a son, chosen for this moment, trained by my father and mother, entrusted with the purpose of God, invested with the vision to expand the kingdom of the heavenly Father, and going in the name of those who send me for the the glory of the Jesus we represent, never for my glory! I'm going to represent God, to represent my leaders, to represent the church and to represent all those who have joined us through prayer & giving."

Pastor Sunhee pulled me aside, gave me a couple of quick instructions and said, "You need to lead the team. I'm going to get on a flight tomorrow and meet you all there." I love the faith of my spiritual mother! She would not take "No" for an answer. While she was giving me instructions Pastor Benjamin was on the phone with the passport agency and they said she would not be able to get an appointment until the next day and that there were too busy for her to go in. So, according to the agency, it wouldn't leave her enough time to catch the next flight... How many of you know God is not restricted by agencies & officials, He works all thigns out for His good! (after we boarded, she went to the agency and within 3 hours she had a new passport and caught the flight the next day to Indonesia! unheared of!!!)

So just before we left we all prayed together and PB began by saying, "God is not surprised... Nothing that has happened today has shocked Him, He is not surprised..." This would characterize our trip, things working out in different ways then we imagined and planned (more to come later). So many times we want God to move in impossible ways, but we don't want to be at the edge of the impossible! We hate the feeling of not knowing what's going to happen, but the impossible is fertile soil for the fruit of God's supernatural work!

After we prayed PB looked at me and said, "Run it..." As a basketball coach says to his star point guard, 'Run it..." As a baseball coach says to his star pitcher, "Run it..." As a father says to his son, 'Run it..." My spirit was jolted, my heart set ablaze once again with the truth of the fact that this is what I have been called for, chosen for, trained for, equipped for and destined for... this was the place that God has called me to occupy, but not just when Pastor Sunhee is not able to board the plane, I'm called to occupy this place always.

On the plane ride the question, "Why have you spiritually taken the bench?" began to flood my mind. It was as if the Holy Spirit, through PB's words, was defibrillating my heart. I'm called to serve alongside my leaders and help them fulfill the work of God all the time, not just when they can't on the plane! Why do I allow myself to back down and take a seat on the bench because I don't feel like I'm the point guard?

The Lord began to show me that this was not just me, but this is how many in the body of Christ are at this time. We leave it up to the 'spiritual point guards' to run it. But, God has called us to run it together, as we walk in step with their direction and leadership! So many of us our sitting on the bench thinking, "They got it covered, they're doing a good job, they don't need me, mom and dad got it covered." As a result, as a body we are hindered and deactivated from "Running it" together! It's time to get off the bench and take our place alongside the leaders that God has called us to serve. It's time that in faith, submission and readiness we step into the place that we are called to occupy so that as a body we can "Run it!"

Just as we boarded the plane my wife looked at me and said, "Baby that's so powerful that Pastor Sunhee could just say that you need to lead the team and that she can trust you and you are capable and ready to lead..." This is why my spiritual father and mother have been pouring into my life. This is why it is so important for me to have their heart. It's not for me to sit on the bench and just watch them do all the work. It is to walk with the heart that God has given them, to serve them and serve alongside them. It is to be able to take my place as a son and "Run It."