Better than two loaves and five fish

It never ceases to amaze me, the little gifts God brings my way. This week I received an email from an amazing man who happened to be a student in my first youth group. I hadn't heard from Jonathan in well over a decade, and had no clue what God had worked in his life. The last time I saw him was at a high school graduation party we went back for, and he was toying with the idea of ministry. I tried to encourage him, but never knew what came of it. I remember standing outside of another student's house, having a conversation about it, and hoping with all of my might that he would follow the leading God seemed to be giving him.

Turns out, he did. He wrote me this week, and has his own blog up and going. You can check it out here. (Go over and post a comment or two on his stuff. He's quite talented.) He has, like myself and many other students I've had, married well above himself it would seem. And he is the youth pastor at the church where I was his youth pastor. He's carrying the torch on in that community.

I can't begin to express the love and joy that brings to me. My heart is overflowing with gratefulness that he is there, loving students today. When you leave a church, your heart always has a connection to the people there, and the community you leave behind. I can not think of a greater gift God could give than to have Jonathan leading the students there.

So never underestimate the ability of God to take your small offerings in your life today, and to multiply them. I was a young youth pastor, blindly stumbling through ministry (much like today), hoping to help. God has multiplied that a thousand times over, and is using Jonathan in great ways. If He is willing to use something so small as my time there to produce something so beautiful, then I promise He is doing it in your life today. Guaranteed. No doubt. So be faithful in loving those around you. Speak truth in kindness. Give yourself away. You simply do not know how God will reinvest your gift. You simply do not know.