a monopoly kind of committment

Gnashing of teeth, plotting, embellishing rules, tears, and absolute dedication....and we were only five minutes into the game.  Monopoly was more than a game in my childhood it was an experience.  When you come from a family of competitive folks like mine game night got a little crazy but when monopoly came out....it got a whole lot of crazy.  We were all in and winning was not an option...it was the only answer.  And because everyone could not possibly win...someone was always unhappy at the end.  And that was not the end of it.  For weeks after the game conversations would continue of "If only...I could have won"  or "I think someone may have cheated."  We were committed to the game. 

Yesterday I saw someone go from being a listener to being a committed believer.   I had the privilege of visiting a sweet friend we are discipling in Chaguarpamba.  I had a visitor with me, Abbie.  She is 16, from North Carolina, and came to see what everyday missions looks like. I took her to see Katy.   I had not had many opportunities to visit with Katy lately because she got a job outside the town where she lives and has not been home much.  But it was a Saturday morning and she was home for the weekend.  We sat down to study the Bible and she was deeply engaged in working through the passage we were studying. 
Right now we are using a preset list of questions that we go through when studying a passage of scripture.  We want those who study with us to know that they can study scripture at any time and not just when we are visiting.  By giving them questions and using them over and over they learn a way to study scripture on their own and their confidence builds. 
The questions look like this:
     1.  What in this passage do you like?  What draws your attention?
     2.  What do you not like?  What is confusing?
     3.  What can I learn about God in this passage?
     4.  What can I learn about mankind in this passage?
     5.  How can I apply what we learn in this passage to our lives?
     6.  Who can I share this lesson with?
So, when we got to the last two questions I figured we would get an answer similar to "all scripture is good to learn and put in practice"  and "I will share it with my family since they are not here to study today".   Those answers would have been fine.  But, yesterday I got to see commitment.  I got to see Katy go from learning and applying scripture to her own life, to something much deeper. 

When I asked Katy question number 5 her answer floored me.  She said, "Andrea, I find these studies really important.  I am learning so much.  At the school where I am counseling children I have started going through these studies with my students.  They need God.  So much of what I am learning in these studies is just what the kids need to hear also."  I was so surprised that I just kinda stared blankly at her.  Then my eyes started welling up with tears.  I don't think Katy realized how important that answer was.  My reaction surprised her but also greatly encouraged her.

Katy went from a listener to a committed player for God.  It was no longer a secret in her heart or even just amongst her family.  She is now all in.  She knows this truth is exactly what the world needs and she is not afraid to get out there and do the hard work. 

Commitment can be an amazing thing to witness when your working for God.  Its not just a milestone, it is personal growth.  It is an individual deepening in faith and committing to God at a whole new level.  It is beautiful. It is God at work among His people completing His purposes.  It is such a privilege to get to see these results!  As a follower of Christ my job is to go where God leads, do what He asks, and not worry about whether or not things turn out how I think they should.  Obedience is a hard lesson.  I like to understand why things happen.  Sometimes in this line of work sharing Gods word can be quite similar to beating ones head against a wall.  You continue to do the same thing (sharing God's word) and in the end all you end up with is a headache.  But those are the moments where I figure my character needed building and that those moments were for my own benefit and not others.  It was my learning time.  My time to learn to trust. 

Meeting with Katy was a huge gift yesterday.  I got a chance to see why.  I got to see how.  And I got a chance to be absolutely blessed.  Seeing someone grown in their faith and dedication to the Lord is a slow process.  But as time passes and God does the work in a persons life, we get to see an amazing transformation.  We see commitment grow.  And unlike Monopoly, the more committed a person is to sharing God, the deeper the relationship grows and the more united the community of believers becomes.  Monopoly bears scars and dissent.  God brings beauty and love.