Stepstool

Our son Max is just 4 years old.  He is the not only the youngest, but the smallest member of our family.  I am not sure he realizes either of those things.  As far as he is concerned, he is able, and has the right, to do anything anybody else does.  He plays soccer with his big brother.  He does flips with his big sister.  He injects his ideas into conversations and is a part of the flow of our family.  At 4 years old and just over 3 feet tall, he has limitations.  He does a pretty amazing job navigating life even with these passing limitations.

For example, he doesn't fully understand how to operate the TV remote,  but he does know how to tell you exactly where to find his favorite episodes of "Dude Perfect" on YouTube through the AppleTV.

He also cannot reach the sink, or the orange juice on the top shelf of the fridge; but he has solutions for both….his stepstool.  This is not a traditional stepstool but a family heirloom; a wood and leather footrest that is the perfect companion for a 4-year-old who is learning to overcome barriers.

Without fanfare he runs and drags his stepstool to the sink, or the fridge, or the cupboard where there are Pop Tarts.  Max has learned that his ability to get to the things he wants isn't always up to everybody else.  There are things he can do to put himself in a place of success by just employing some simple tools.  Max has learned the value of his stepstool.

What stepstools are you introducing to your students?  What tools are you giving them to help them reach their goals?  More importantly, what opportunities are you giving them to discover their own solutions?  I could easily just grab the Pop Tarts for Max, but it's just too fun wathcing him solve that problem himself.  Plus, he is building his barrier busting muscle, and that will serve him well in the years to come.  Sometimes, unlocking the greatness in the students we serve simply means putting some resources in the room and then challenging them to greater success. Then, when they grab the stepstool and achieve their dreams, we can cheer them on.

Lead Strong!

Strike Precisely

Nearly 15 years ago,  I read George Barna's amazing book, "Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions" for the first time.  This thought-shifting book would change my entire approach to ministry to students.  So many of the things I read resonated strongly in my heart and have continued to influence the way I encourage and instruct next generation leaders today.  If you have not read this book, I cannot recommend it enough.  It is a MUST read!

In one particular chapter, Barna uses a simple phrase that inspired the model on which I lean the most, the "Clay Vs. Stone" model.  He simply said that by the time a student reaches the age of around 12, their moral and spiritual foundation is set in stone and that they will spend the rest of their lives chiseling away at what they already believe.  

The mental picture of chiseling away at a stone was precisely how I was feeling at the time I first read this book.  So much of what we do in equipping and developing young leaders requires the work of a hammer and chisel.  This is also the foundational premise behind the KUEST Solution.  The idea is that we have a chance to shape and mold young leaders BEFORE they become set in stone; while they are still clay.  The clay / stone analogy has become the basis for all of our efforts and resources.  

What I want to encourage you with today is the idea of shaping the stone.  Much of our work is done with students whom we did not have the chance to influence when they were younger.  They come to us in their middle to late teen years, which means they come pre-formed.  Their thoughts, attitudes and habits have already been molded and, for the most part, "set in stone." We then have the challenge of chiseling in an effort to unlock their greatness.  For some, their experiences have been so rough and unshaped that there is little semblance of a foundation from which to work.  Some have been given great direction and only have some rough edges here and there to tend to.  The majority, for now, are in-between; not completely unformed, but not greatly formed either, though this trend is drifting, if not fully leaning, toward the unformed.  There is little argument that the challenges our students face early in life are quite severe in today's reality.  In a recent conversation with a local school administrator, they were quick to recognize that teaching staff today are more social worker than classroom educator.  

In the church, we face similar challenges, which underscores the point and encouragement of this post.

As sculptors we must strike precisely.  

There are three things I want to briefly highlight about sculpting that apply directly to our work:

1 : The subject starts out rough.  No block of granite, slab of marble or boulder of stone comes pre-fashioned into a finished product.  All of them have little form and lack a refined shape.  It should be no surprise that some of our students are going to be in rough shape.  Given the choice, we would love for them to come to us in better condition, but it is rarely the case.  Unless you have a strong leader in the more formidable years - and I hope you do - you are likely going to be working with a largely formless, unrefined slab of a young leader.  That rocks!! (pun intended!)

2 : The sculptor sees the finished product before the first blow of the hammer.  Great sculptors can see the full potential of the stone - and they see it before they begin their work.  This is not stuff we can make up as we go along.  Clear vision of a desired outcome is critical to success.  Leaders who are in it for their own glory are likely to do more harm than good as they hammer away without regard to what's inside the stone.  Great sculptors have often been quoted as saying that they are not the ones sculpting the stone, rather, they are simply unlocking what is already inside.

3 : Every hammer strike is done with precision.  The care and passion behind a masterpiece is evident in the strikes that sometimes barely register.  Sculpting is not always about a jack-hammer mentality; it is about very precise strikes that have the exact desired effect.  Great leaders understand that the wrong strike can ruin the whole stone.  Following the leading of the Holy Spirit in unlocking the greatness inside our students is of paramount importance.  Today you may be required to bring the hammer, tomorrow may require a gentle brushing away of lose pieces here and there.  This is why I say, "Strike Precisely."

Yes, as our students age, there is less chance to simply add a clump of clay and mold a little more.  As they become more set in stone, we will need to chisel and hammer and brush away debris.  Along the way, we will be helping to unlock the greatness God has designed into every of one of the masterpieces He has asked us to sculpt, so Strike Precisely.

 

Protect the Root

In the movie, "A Walk in the Clouds," Keanu Reaves plays the boyfriend of a woman whose family owns a centuries-old and vast vineyard.  At the apex of the movie, the vineyard is accidentally set ablaze and is completely destroyed.  We are led to believe all hope is lost and that the run of generations harvesting from these lands is now over.

As the family looks across the scorched earth, the grandfather alerts them to go and check the ancient root.  The root was the original vine from which the whole vineyard had begun.  It was protected inside a fenced-in area and preserved for moments just like these.  The family finds the root intact and celebrates.  They understand the journey ahead of them is one of replanting and cultivating and will require generations to rebuild, but they have hope because that root was preserved.

As we look across our world today, it often appears scorched.  Burned out by dysfunctional relationships, burdened with overwhelming poverty and addiction and lacking in true spirituality.  If we were to just keep reflecting on the state of society, we might feel all is lost.  Yet there is hope!

That hope takes form in the root of our children.  If we can make a concentrated, focused effort to teach and train them in truth, engage them in purpose and guide them with wisdom; If we can empower moms and dads and caretakers to establish a faith-filled home, we can see this vast vineyard thrive once again.  

The journey ahead of us is long and filled with intensely hard work.  But we are equal to the task.  This can, and must be, done.  If you are engaged in this mission already - thank you! And KEEP GOING!  If you have yet to engage, find a way.  Join your kids ministry team.  Give to the work of your local church.  Support KUEST World.  Encourage young parents and share the hope of Christ.  Get involved with local organizations that seek to mentor students.  By protecting and replanting the root, we can begin rebuilding our future.