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Leash Kids

I was sitting at Starbucks, reading an intriguing book, saddened that I just drank the last drop of my venti 2 pump caramel macchiato, when I noticed a sight that pained me to see. Crossing the street were 2 mums dragging their toddlers attached to leashes. This sight pained me because it brought back the horrific memories of my leash days. Yes, I was a leash kid (insert sad face here). I could relate to the scars that these children would have growing up. I wanted to scream out, “Free the leash kids!” But I decided against it since there was a cute girl sitting 2 tables away.

I started thinking about the leash kids (I know my mind works in weird ways) and the thought hit me that really, all of humanity are leash kids. We are all being lead by some influence, bound by that higher authority or perceived higher authority. (And if you don’t think that you are a leash kid in this way then you are the leash kid with the blind fold on, blinded to the fact that you are being lead by something, which is even worse; a leash kid that doesn’t know they are a leash kid.)

The question isn’t “Are we leash kids?” but “Who is leading us leash kids?”

We are all being lead, so we must discover who is leading us. Of course I would want to say that Jesus has the end of the leash and is leading me to still waters and good pasture, but in reality, that isn’t always true. Media could hold the leash or the next new thing we strive for or a fad or a person that we allow to lead us or any number of things that take the place of Christ, leading us in all sorts of directions except down the narrow way of God.

I had a meeting with a guy who has spent his life discussing and studying the “heart” of himself and others. He says that we need to discover the landscape of our hearts and deal with the sewage ponds that are more than likely there. This is a new journey for me because I never really have stopped long enough to even discuss my heart let alone take a look at it, so I decided to start on this journey of discovering the landscape of my heart. And at this point you are probably thinking why I am writing this, but the above leash kids triggered a look into my heart. You see, I have done a lot of ministry in my short 22 years of existence. I have practically been around the globe doing things for God, so it would appear on the outside that I am being lead by God, but after seeing those poor little leash kids, I had to truly ask myself if what I have done and what I am doing is the leading of Christ or something else or myself. That is a tough question to wrestle with when you have run out of your venti 2 pump caramel macchiato.

In looking back, I know that some relationships I have been in was not the leading of God, or at least how I acted in them, but some were orchestrated by God Himself. For the most part, the ministries I have been in, was the tugging of God, using the gifts He had given me to fulfill His purposes, even if I did find my identity in the ministry rather than God (which was a tough lesson to learn). And I am absolutely convinced that He is the holder of the leash on the path of church planting in Mali that I find myself on now. I am sure that the world has distractions for me along the way, to tug at the leash, but I know that I must stay true to the path that the Lord Himself is leading me on, no matter how rocky or hard I may find it. The Lord may even lead me to my death, but it would be for His glory since He is the holder of the leash. A lot of people are being lead to a very sad death because they are being lead by sin, even in ministry. I don’t want to get into the choice debate, but I do think that in some small way we do have a choice in who leads us, because we are all being lead. So, who has the end of your leash?

By the simple fact that I am at a Starbucks, frustrated that I don’t have any more of my venti 2 pump caramel macchiato, should tell you that I am back in the States after a wonderful time in Mozambique. It was a joy to serve alongside of the team, as well as, the Schmidts, the Flurrys, and the Thorps. The wisdom I was able to glean from these 3 missionary families will impact my life and ministry for decades to come. Thank you to all of you who prayed and gave financially to the Lord and allowed me to serve in Mozambique. You have touched more lives than you can ever know.