For the last several weeks, our church has been going through the video series The Power of a Whisper by Bill Hybels. Whatever you may think of Hybels or Willow Creek, there is no denying that this is one powerful series.
My husband and I have a small group in our home as part of the study. I also teach Sunday school, and I’ve been struggling with the way the lessons have been adapted for the younger kids. It’s not terribly active or engaging for the little ones, and I’ve found myself supplementing the core teaching with active play. As part of my preparation for this past Sunday’s lesson, my husband and I previewed the DVD that we will watch with our small group on Saturday. Let me warn you now, if you’re in a group and haven’t yet watched this one, please keep the tissue box handy. You absolutely must have a heart of stone to be unmoved by the teaching. Hybels is reiterating something he previously said, which you can watch here:
http://youtu.be/pk_FQx3hGLw
I remember watching that some time ago and thinking, I do feel moved by what’s going on around me, but I have no idea what G-d wants me to do about it; I feel so overwhelmed by all the needs in this world. As I turned it over in my mind, I realized that I cannot possibly take on all the problems of my own family, church, or community, let alone the whole country or the whole world. It was then that I began praying in earnest for G-d to show me the one thing that would, as Hybels puts it, wreck me.
Don’t say that prayer unless you mean it.
Because once I knew what it was for me, I spent nights in tears and days searching for ways to make a difference. I couldn’t let it rest. It was like constantly bleeding on the inside. Even now, I still have those moments when I wonder, Why more suffering? And even though it sounds like an absolutely terrible thing, I assure you that it’s not. In fact, it’s the opposite. It is incredibly, unimaginably beautiful.
But you have to be prepared for it. When you ask G-d to show you that one thing that crushes your heart, you have to be ready for G-d to put you into action. For those who like military metaphors (I usually don’t, but I’ll humor you), it’s a lot like joining the Army. It’s not something you do just because you think it will be “interesting.” You do it knowing full well that you might be sent anywhere in the world, you might be asked to fight, and you might die. When you pray G-d will show you your one thing, you have to know that you might be sent anywhere in the world, you might be asked to do anything, and you might even die for that cause.
I know what wrecks me, and I’m willing to do what G-d asks. What about you?
