even if only a few

I wanted to share a quote with you that I shared at our elder/staff breakfast last weekend.

When I get to heaven, I don't want to watch Jesus spew my sheep out of his mouth. No, I'd rather have a select few behind me and be able to say, "Jesus, these are all I have left but they are crazy in love with you. They sacrificed all of their lives to serve you."
~ Francis Chan, Teaching Pastor at Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA

This quote could be misunderstood to say we can neglect those we feel are less-spiritual or who are less inclined to rise to our perceived level of maturity or expectation. That would be an unfortunate interpretation.

Or, we could understand this quote to convey the reality that God graces us with countless people as we live our lives. Each of those persons is just as valuable as every other person. It's in this amazing equality that God supernaturally creates a unique bond with some. Why? How? Who? I don't know but I've experienced it and hope you have, too. The easy ones to recognize are those that become our spouses or children, parents or siblings. But God also creates this supernatural bond with others we work with, live near, play sports with, go to church with or simply walk by. As we live life - loving God and loving others - His Spirit invades the specific friendships and specific moments to accomplish amazing things.

Here's a simple example: I currently have hundreds of people I am living life with. Of those hundreds, there are somewhere between 200-300 that are associated with Willow Bend, just over 50 who are interested in Creative Arts, almost 30 who are engaged with Creative Arts, about another 28 engaged in my Life Group (including children), about 12 in ministry leadership roles with me, another 9 in church leadership roles with me, about 3 in serious man-friendships with another handful of men in strong friendship, about another 15 that are physical neighbors of mine, about 30 or so people I am blessed to maintain friendships with through my life/ministry travels, 1 personal pastor (who also happens to be our Sr. Pastor), and 1 daughter.

That's a lot of people (and some of you have even more than I). Yet, in all of these friendships, there are few I have sensed God's special annointing to walk with in a unique and beautiful way. Does that mean all the rest are somehow less important to me? or not worth my time? or don't get returned emails or phone calls? Not at all. But it does mean I strive to honor that which I see God doing in me and around me. It means I believe and trust completely that God is a God of organization, not chaos, which translates into my understanding that what He puts in my life to do and experience will fit into a 24-hour day, a 7-day week...my lifetime. If all that I am attempting to do - assuming I am even seeking God's direction for my life - cannot be reconciled into a 24-hour day or 7-day week, then I am not honoring His purpose in me for me or His purpose in me for those He has sovereignly placed in my life.

We may - and I hope we do - touch the lives of thousands upon thousands of people with even the smallest of godly compassion and truth. I also hope we capture the hearts of some, even if only a few.