The Cost of Discipleship

This morning, JeeP came to work with me for a while. Its one of the little perks of being a pastor, that really just results from the nutty hours and weekends spent at the office, causing my family to feel very much at home in my study at the church.

For those of you who know me, you know that everything in my office has a story. Now that sounds like an exaggeration, but if it is at all, it's a very small one; so when the kids come up, they often spend copious minutes gazing about the room, asking about things of interest they see on the bookshelves or on the walls, climbing into my lap to get my perspective on the room, and repeating the process countless times.

This morning, I came in ready to get to work, letting JeeP dive into the toys and books I have for him here... but he had a different idea. "I wanna sit in your wap." "OK, buddy, come on up," I said, and the morning changed shape for a little bit.

Have you ever noticed that God's plans are better than your own? This morning was just such a case. As we sat at my desk, I thought, "Why not go ahead and read the Hebrew I was about to read anyway?" So we sat and read the Word of God in the ancient language, and he loved it. We settled back into my chair, and discovered the beauty of high Hebrew together, as thousands of years of spiritual heritage melted away from the lowly perspective of my desk chair. Next, JeeP decided he wanted to read from what I call my "weddings and funerals Bible." "OK," I said, beginning to realize and soak up the deeper things that God had prepared for me this morning. So... we "read." Soon the stories of Jesus which he's learning intertwined with the perspectives and imaginings of a three year old little boy, and amazingly enough, the reality of the grace of Christ emerged as we discussed the fact that Jesus is strong enough to slay even the biggest, meanest dragons.

It may seem like a little thing to some, but in the perspective of aging life that passes all too quickly, I learned something this morning, and so did JeeP. Life is all about trades, and the trade-off of a life of ministry is often all-consuming. This morning, the life of a simple pastor collided with the life of an amazing three year old. There is no separation, but gestaltic totality; for in the eyes of the JeeP I'm just his Daddy. The cost of discipleship was, for today, the willingness to travel the unexpected path, and to borrow a phrase, "that has made all the difference."

The same Jesus who is strong enough to slay the dragons, is far wiser than my feeble mind can fathom; and in that wisdom, somehow brought my heart and mind to focus clearly on the beauty of His Word through the magic of my little boy.

Perhaps someday I'll get to repeat these moments with his children, or maybe with Jordan's, but for today, life has been enriched beyond what I had thought with the simple payment of the cost of discipleship I had not expected.

May the peace of Christ overwhelm you!

John