Full disclosure, it’s been a few years since I’ve watched The Sting, but it was one of my favourite movies in high school. Mostly because it’s Paul Newman and Robert Redford, but also what a clever plot. They create this massive operation to swindle someone, but there’s switches within switches of who’s tricking who, and it’s all about the long game. They commit. They follow through. There’s a great payoff.
I do not endorse any illegal activities.
But I’m in this discipleship game for the long haul. It’s not a quick fix – though I have seen the Holy Spirit jump in with some wild miracles when people were in desperate need. I’ve also seen, in my life included, long journeys with the Holy Spirit through some massive difficulties that led to far greater intimacy and maturity on the other side (or at this middle point even) that show the value of commitment and faithfulness to Jesus.
I will say, it’s still hard to watch some of the young people I work with make poor choices, and I was having a moment of grief over some of them this past Tuesday when a particularly dramatic hyperbole spewed out of my mouth to the Lord about how at least I can name THREE young people who I know I’ve positively impacted in the 1,000+ students and young adults who’ve passed under my influence in ministry in the past 15+ years. Within half an hour of my sarcastic comment to the Lord, a former student I haven’t heard from in several months called me up and spent an hour chatting with me about how God has got ahold of her recently and she regularly says to herself, “My life would have so much less hurt if I’d just listened to Ms. Hewett immediately.” It was a lovely face slap from the Holy Spirit with the clear message, “at least FOUR, YA DUMMY.” I love the Holy Spirit.
On Thursday I had a drastically different conversation with some peers as one of them prayed over me and encouraged me with the verse John 6:66 where Jesus has people turn away from him. If people literally walked away from JESUS telling them the good news, I can’t be all that shocked when people walk away after an encounter with me. I’ll still do my best, but it’s only Holy Spirit power that turns hearts, and I get to be a part of that process for many people – a page in the book of their story – but it’s never about me, and it’s not a personal failing if someone walks away from Jesus after they’ve met me.
Then after the morning service, I had the joy of sitting with four teenagers reading and discussing 1 John 3, and I loved how one of them brought attention to the verse that says we shouldn’t be surprised when the world hates us. I shared the John 6:66 verse. We all talked about how we want to have evidence of the love of God in our lives.
I’m so excited about this Jesus. I want to live differently than the world. The love of Jesus is self sacrificial; it’s not flimsy feel good self focused hedonism.
The love of Jesus is long haul. It doesn’t give up.
Throwback to those kiddos who tried to burn bridges with me; jokes still on you because you know I build my bridges out of steel. Love & Dust, chiquito.
