This week, I was given the opportunity to share the weekly devotional with out staff and different schools. Ben finished a study on our identity in Christ and we’ve since been going through the life of Jesus with the Gospel of Matthew as our guide. To say I was nervous could be an understatement. Preparing last weekend though, I felt peaceful going into the week.
I had watched Pastor Ben do this for weeks, but as I began Monday morning at our staff meeting, I quickly realized this was a whole new ballgame. To be honest, everyone was encouraging, but that was quite the learning experience. I did have the thought halfway through the devotional, “Maybe I’m not meant to teach. I can stick with administration and writing.” All this before the six different devotional times with the schools and students I still had in front of me.
Well, the week has come and gone. I finished the last devotional this afternoon. From peaceful, to discouraged, to encouraged and tired, (it was a lot of Spanish) I have come to this conclusion: One cannot fail whenever the Good News of Christ is spoken. My teaching was on prayer using the Ask, Seek, Knock passage found in Matthew 7. The truth is, standing up in front of 130 people during the week and saying, “Prayer works, don’t give up” is an invigorating experience. Doing this in another language is only further testament to the universal church represented as a bride (and not a harem) waiting for the groom.
It doesn’t matter where my Spanish faltered (and it did). All that counts is that Jesus’ name was said and prayer was modeled. My favorite part is in verse 11, where we are told that our Father in heaven will give good gifts to those who ask him! How beautiful to be able to connect with people in a different culture over an all too often difficult subject of the wound fathers often leave on their children (whether physical absence, drunkenness, domestic violence, and at times physical scars). In place of the hurt we’ve all experienced, I was honored to share how our Father in heaven has good gifts and plans for us that are better than we could ever imagine. We need only ask. So for myself, my friends and family, and this community, I plan to continue asking, seeking, and knocking because God opens doors.
Lastly, when you stand in front of others and teach 7 different times, “Our heavenly Father is perfect in his love and desires to give good things to us,” you start to believe it more and more yourself. Thank you Daddy for your immense love for me. Allow me to show it to others more fully.
Ever knocking,
Caleb the Intern