Day One: The Little Brother

THE LITTLE BROTHER

     My late husband was a gifted musician. It didn't take long after joining our fellowship for this fact to become well-known. I had to work on Sunday mornings so we had chosen this particular fellowship because it offered a Sunday evening worship service that we could attend together. Within two months I got the phone call, "Honey, I've been asked to help on the worship team. I know how important our worship time together is so I wanted to see what you thought of this first before I gave them my answer. The associate pastor told me they had been praying for a sound engineer and you know how much help they need with the sound." And so it began, "Who am I to stop you from being an answer to someone's prayer?" I said.
   My husband quickly became well-known in the church. He was given a budget and revamped the sound system in the sanctuary and put together a system in the children's church, he started teaching a class so others could learn how to run sound properly, he ran sound for Sunday morning services and Wednesday evening's youth group, and even began playing guitar with the worship team on Sunday mornings. I on the other hand dropped in on Sunday evenings for worship, sitting alone in the sanctuary and occassionally being introduced, "This is Mike's wife." Soon everyone knew who Mike's wife was but only a few knew my name.
     3. How have you been identifiedy by your relationship with others? In what ways has this limited you and in what ways has this been a blessing?   
     I was blessed with meeting a lot of people in the sanctuary very quickly because of Mike's involvement on the worship team. And when he died so many of the people he touched along the way came to my family in support and encouragement. The most difficult part of having been a shadow for so long was stepping up and feeling significant as just me. A process that many of you may be familiar with if you have lost a spouse or been through a divorce, the process of going from "We" to "Me" --- as you can see it literally turns you upside down.
     I imagine that John had to do this when his big brother James died. He got to come into the ministry along side his brother. As a little brother, he probably walked comfortably in the shadow of  his big brother. When John went through the "We to Me" transition, he ended up penning some of the most profound words in the New Testament. Let God turn you upside down through this personal reflections study of John: The Beloved Disciple; God is calling you out of the shadows and into a life of significance.

  Study Outline:

•     Follow along in JOHN: 90 Days with the Beloved Disciple by Beth Moore  pages 2-6
•     Read Matthew 4:18-22
•     Answer the following questions in your study guide:

               1. What were you doing when Jesus first came to you? What ordinary things occupied your time and attention?
              2. In what ways might your nature and background be similiar to John's? Or in what ways could your two experiences not possibly be any more unlike?
              3. How have you been identified by your relationship with others? In what ways has this been a blessing in your life? In what ways, though, has it seemed limiting or restrictive, making you feel misunderstood, as though you can't be yourself?

•     Share a brief highlight or two from your thoughts and answers in a comment posted to the group. (Read guidelines and cautions posted August 1, 2010 before you post).
•     Read the comments of others and share your thoughts and encouragement with them by replying directly in their comment's box. 

 PRAY WITH ME:

Lord, I thank you for each individual reading this post today. I pray that you would turn any feelings they have of insignificance upside down and let them hear you calling them into EXTRAORDINARY. Lead them, through your word, into quiet study with you, teach them and mentor them as you did your Beloved Disciple John. "We have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us, God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him (1 John 4:16)" Thank you for bringing us into your love and keep us in  your love always. In Jesus name, Amen.