“We don’t have a missional problem in the United States, we have a discipleship problem.” I heard that stated yesterday and could not help but have those words penetrate my heart in total agreement.  Needless to say I personally have been in the mode of processing a lot of things over the past year.  One of the things would be this thing we call discipleship and the lack of it in our churches, lives, communities.  It’s not that I’ve not ever been aware of the problem.  I’ve always been aware.   

I can’t speak for everyone else but I can speak from my own experience.  Up until about 6 months ago do you know that I have never had anyone who was intentional in my life and offered to disciple me.  And it’s not that I was not looking for it or did not want it.  In ways I feel I looked for it and had no idea how to ask for it or find it for that matter.  I do wonder how that can happen?  I grew up as a pastors kid, I went to a Christian College, I’ve been a member and part of community type churches for the past 13 years.  I’ve worked for christian organizations since getting out of college. And  not until 6 months ago did anyone ever suggest any type of process of personal discipleship for me.  Discipleship that has a plan and actually works!    

I’ve been a part of small groups and bible studies in large room environments and small.  I have a husband who has for the most part spiritually poured into me and have been surrounded by friends who have done the same, but that is not what I’m talking about.  I’m talking about deliberate time where someone intentionally pours into my life and I give someone the authority to speak into my life.  To help me observe, reflect and discuss but more importantly to plan, account and act.  And I’m talking about woman on woman investment in lives.

I remember being a sophomore in college and I was attending a church in West Palm Beach and had gotten to know the pastor and his wife a bit.  I was on a leadership counsel for the college and our pastor and his wife were in that meeting and on campus for the day.  I seriously have always and at that time longed to have an older wiser woman invest time in my life and I so desired to learn.  I remember my heart racing a bit as I approached our pastors wife who seemed to be passionate about college students and finally got the nerve to ask her… “will you disciple me?”  I remember waiting to hear her response thinking this would be my only option for something like this and she seemed to brush me off a bit and say she was really busy and not sure if she could have the time to do that.  That is the last time I ever asked someone that question.

I am no longer going to be a casualty because I was uneducated to find what I needed or because no one offered to step in and help me.  I am so thankful to now have those people in my life that in some ways begin this journey of discipleship with me. It’s never too late.  I feel like a piece of bread being thrown into an egg batter and soaking up everything I can.  It’s hard to be patient because it takes time. I have to learn, process, imitate, grow so that I too can get moving and invite people in and not only be discipled but to begin to pour out and invest in other and disciple too.  It’s a wonderful dance of being and doing.

The reality is that for me, once your awakened to something you have to keep moving.  Without movement there is no life.  I personally have found the other half to the call of personal awakening and am thrilled to be processing the road of discipleship.    And now with “awakening” and “discipling” a movement has been found that in my opinion has the opportunity to really bring a new era to my life and my life is simply a metaphor for the amazing journey that I know is in store for not only our family but for the masses.

I’ll be sure to keep you updated on the process and hopefully will be able to share with you my personal experiences and the resources that have become available to me.  It’s fun to process.  It’s an amazing thing to be challenged and then invited in to dare to attempt amazing things.