"The Team"

Stepping Out in RED Shoes!

- Day 84 --

Everyone needs a good team!

I've been thinking lately how blessed I am to be a part of such an awesome team.  We've never sat for a professional photo or anything.  In fact, we've never all been in one place at one time.  I bet if you could pull us all together for a picture though, we'd look a lot like "The Sandlot" -- only all grown up! LOL.

When I think about my team -- the people and the positions they play -- I'm blown away at the opportunity to serve with some of the greatest Christians around.  There's my pastor and his wife;  some key leaders and teachers that inspire me, speak into my life and pray for me;  my mentor who works with me on an almost daily basis;  my peers who encourage and support me in ministry;  and then there's my small family group of believers.  Some of them are further along in their faith than others.  Some have discovered their own gifts and callings, some have not.

We're in the trenches -- doing the work 

of the Lord together -- learning,  growing, 

and loving one another as we go.

I love my team!  They are my family and I can't say enough good things about them!  Though I feel that God, Himself, has predestined us all to work together,  I can't help remembering what it was like picking teams as a kid.  Do you remember that?

I only had the privilege of being a team captain on a few occasions in grade school -- and that was quite some time ago -- but what I remember most was the challenge of picking the team.  As much as I wanted to win, I wanted my friends on my team as well.  Of course, being 8, 9, 10 years of age,  I never thought about the implications of who I didn't choose.  Instead I chose the popular kids first -- the ones that could kick the ball the farthest or run the bases the fastest.

Have you ever wished that you could go back in time and relive a specific situation, only this time, having the adult knowledge you have today?  I'd love to think that I'd go back and my first pick for my team would be the one who always gets picked last.  I'd love to shout... "I choose YOU for my #1 pick."  With that I'd throw my arms around them, smile and say... "Thanks for being on my team!"

Yeah, yeah... If only.  Funny thing is,  I'm not sure that's what I'd really end up doing.  The reason I say that is because the Lord spoke very clearly to me the other day about a team choice.  

"When you do that particular ministry,

 on such and such a night, I choose him 

for this specific position." 

"Really LORD?"  I asked.  "You want him to do that?"

"Oh yes!"  He responded.  "He's the one!"

"Okay then.  I'll pick him."  I agreed.

I'm not the captain of my team.  He is...  JESUS.   He doesn't always give such clear specifications, but when He does -- when He says "I choose that one!"  I follow through accordingly.  I know God's got a plan, and when He does things like that, I get excited.  The Spirit inside me jumps!  I can't wait to see what's going to happen next.

That's one of the things I love about Divine Partnership.  God never follows man's way of thinking.  Picking the one that can kick the ball the farthest or the one who can run the fastest, only brings glory to specific people.

God loves  "The Sandlot" 

"The Little Rascals"

"The Underdogs"

 and 

"The Isle of Misfit Kids,"

  because with them... 

He gets ALL the glory!

My team knows we can't do it on our own!   We all have our idiosyncrasies, our strengths and our weaknesses.  Not one of us is perfect by any means.  We just love one another and keep our focus on Him.  If something awesome is going to happen, it's because God's in our midst.  It's nothing short of a miracle!

As for me?  I'm the misfit wearing the RED shoes!

Gail