I'll always remember the mannnyyyy years we helped with a community outreach program, SPIKE. Week after week we would open up the local elementary school and host well over 100 students. We'd play dodgeball, kings court, volleyball, set up obstacles courses, and SOOOO much more. It was a riot week after week! Some students came hungry, some students came full. Some came with winter clothing, some came with no coats, hats or boots. Some families were well off, some had no idea where their children were. We fell innnn LOOOVE with these kids. Many of them we are still in relationship with today! My dad head up the program, assisted by a team of volunteers. My Papa who was the oldest volunteer by far, came most weeks to help out wherever he could. Each week we would rally the students in the gym before we broke off into the two separate gyms and we'd encourage and challenge them to apply a key characteristic or value to their lives. I remember this one specific night, it was my night to open. Usually this was pretty easy for me, I loved the students and the students loved me! But this one particular night these kids were HYPPPPED UP! I could not get them to focus! Now picture this, I was the youngest volunteer who was a ton of fun to hang out with! I was easy to relate with, not to mention I had the sweetest Jennifer Aniston haircut! I was rocking my high waisted Tommy Hilfiger jeans, and not just any jeans ladies and gentlemen, the one and only PAINTER STYLE Tommy Hilfiger Jeans!!! Even with a cool hairstyle and great clothes I couldn't get these students to calm down. I gave them the old, "I'll stand here all night if I have to, I'll stand here until you're done talking! If you dont' be quiet we're not going to play dodgeball" routine, well, they didn't care! They were tooooo hyped up to care about my empty threats! No matter what I or the other volunteers tried, they would not settle! All of a sudden I remember my Papa, who was monitoring the front door, left his post and came into the gym. He didn't say a word, he just walked past the other volunteers to the edge of the circle. He reached in his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill and in the quietest voice said, 'Can anyone tell me who this is?' INSTANTLY.... silence swept around the circle and the students hands started shooting up. I have NEVER seen anything like it! They COMPLETELY zoned in to what he was saying. He didn't yell or manipulate, he simply stepped up to the plate and walked in his teaching gifting.
I learned right then and there as a very young leader, that it's now how cool you look, or how young you are that makes you successful. What makes you successful is walking in the sphere you're called to walk in. It's stepping up to the plate and using the gifts He's given you to bring change to the sphere you're operating in. When you walk in what He's called you to, you won't have to jump up and down to try to command everyones attention. You'll simply come as you are, present your gifts and watch the atmosphere around you change.
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