As I’ve continued to grow in my faith one image has always stuck out in my mind. I think back to all of the stories in the bible where I saw men, women, and children sitting at the feet of Jesus. I imagine Jesus, smiling gently, maybe even laughing a little bit, as he explained the joys of the kingdom of heaven. I imagine those around him, hanging on his every word and phrase, anticipating and wondering what he might say next. In truth, the picture that comes to my mind is one of peace.
I’ve thought about what it looks like to sit at the feet of Jesus a lot. If you know me, you know I’m a talker. I LOVE to talk to people. No matter who you are I will try and find some way to engage with you and talk with you. It can literally be about nothing (just ask the other fellows). That’s just part of who I am. Now, because I am such a blabber-mouth, I sometimes do a TERRIBLE job at listening. As I have gotten older, I have realized just how important listening is. The most important way you can ever show someone that you love them is to listen intently to their every word.
This past weekend, the fellows got the amazing opportunity to take a group of students at Church of the Apostles to New Life Camp in Raleigh, North Carolina ( a whopping 4 minutes from my house). I will be honest, I was dreading this weekend. My college was having their homecoming festivities to which ALL of my college friends were going. I so desperately wanted to be there, living life with them, but instead, I got stuck in a cabin with 4 rowdy middle school boys and my favorite country bumpkin fellow, Dylan. I had very low expectations for the weekend and came in feeling drained, tired, and unsuspecting. What I realized was that in those moments is when The Lord does the most work.
I THRIVED this weekend. The four boys Dylan and I got the chance to lead, Paul, Isaac, Jack, and David, were phenomenal. They truly wanted to chase after not only The Lord but each other as well. They also loved us so well. Do you know how sometimes middle school boys don’t want anything to do with you? Well, these boys wanted to hang out with me. We spent hours talking about life, joking about stupid middle school things, and playing endless games of blackjack and soccer. I came in drained, broken, and tired, and left feeling so revived.
During the weekend, our amazing professors/youth leaders, Gebbie and Hayes, taught us about what it looks like to sit at the feet of Jesus. I had heard the stories before, but for the first time, I tried to place myself in the story. As I pictured myself, I realized that I had always imagined the middle schoolboy in me sitting at the feet of Jesus. If you know anything about my story, you know that middle school was NOT a thriving time for me. It was in these thoughts and in these feelings, that I felt Jesus reviving me into something new.
As I began to listen to these boys talk about their walk with Christ and how they want to not just sit, but kneel at the feet of Jesus, I couldn’t help but smile. Not just a soft smile, but a smile from deep within because I knew the Lord was doing kingdom-building work in the lives of those kids. That kingdom-building work starts when you sit at the feet of Jesus.
Luke Harvin