It’s been a bit over a week since we finished the SQBR 2015 project, and I’m finally ready to put some words to paper…or at least to the
blog (is paper even a thing these days?—haha).
The week after a project is always a hard week for a project
coordinator. It’s full of loading and packing and storing, giving borrowed
things back, writing thank you notes, and generally wrapping up the project. It
isn’t pretty sometimes…I would share a picture of my bedroom (with 8 different
equipment storage bins plus all of my clothing in the floor), but it’s in
pretty embarrassing shape. The other aspect of the week after a project for a coordinator
is debriefing and processing—reading evaluations and digging into the nitty
gritty of what was really good about the project and what needs improvement. In
Christian ministry, this is also a time of heart examination—what were my
spiritual strengths and weaknesses? High points? Mistakes? Sins? Who do I need
to speak with in the aftermath to follow up with, to confess to, to encourage,
to seek advice and feedback from? It is important to physically wrap up a
project and to store sports equipment, but it is even more important to seek a
spiritual conclusion and to ask the Lord to give me and other leaders insight
into the work he did during the week and the work he is continuing to do even
though the event of SQBR has finished for the year.
So, when I say I am finally ready to put words to paper, I’m
saying I’ve had enough time to begin to reflect on the ministry and to share a few things the Lord is revealing during the debrief
process. Early on in the project, the Lord gave me a word: ABIDE. And he continued
to impress the word on my heart throughout the trip (and even now). There’s
layers to this word. The top layer is simply the call to be still and spend
time with the Lord. Not something I am very good at because I am notoriously
busy. But if you go to one of the most famous passages of Scripture where this
word appears, you see it is a deeper call than simply being still or spending
time in prayer and devotion:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:1-11, ESV)
The passage is Jesus speaking to his disciples. It leads
into a discussion of loving one another, and is part of Jesus’ conversation
with the disciples before he is betrayed and dies on the cross. It’s his
encouragement for them to remain in him, to love one another, and ultimately to
be unified with him individually and collectively. He also mentions pruning and persecution (later in the passage). The command to abide remains the same. Abide and take heart, for he has conquered the world! Abiding in Jesus/the Father
is the foundation of fruit-bearing. He is the rock of ministry. Apart from the
vine, no fruit can be produced. Apart from him, no ministry can be
accomplished. He is the source.
So, why would the Lord choose this word to give me during
SQBR 2015? This year more than the others, abiding was difficult. It was difficult
because I had lots of tasks as a leader to complete. But that is a challenge I
expected. Abiding this year was difficult because there were a lot of
unexpected challenges. I was tempted continuously to respond in the flesh
rather than in the fruits of the Spirit and to try to handle the challenges
in my own strength rather than going to the source. Jesus promises branches that remain in him will bear fruit, but he also points out that they
will be pruned and tested, and some will be thrown into the fire. Abiding does not lead to guaranteed
comfort, but it does lead to fruit, to discipline, to growth, and ultimately to
obedience and love. Abiding happens in silent times of prayer and devotion, as well as in the midst of chaotic storms and painful pruning.
Our
SQBR team walked through some storms—figurative and literal—together. And we
came out of the storms for the most part more unified. We were challenged to
rely more on God as we were pushed out of our comfort zones and as our
expectations were shattered.
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| The SQBR team before our first Sunday worshiping together |
The Lord is good and faithful, and although there
were times when things felt chaotic or broken, and when my vision for the
project and the schedule I had designed fell to pieces, the Lord revealed his
perfect plans and his larger and clearer vision for the Gardere children and
for SportQuest Baton Rouge.
Some of my favorite moments emerged from the storms, and
they were more perfect than anything I could have built or designed in my own strength.
Relational walls came crashing down when the SQBR cheer coaches had an
impromptu worship service with a parks and recreation employee during a gym
power outage. That employee, who had previously been an obstacle to our
ministry opened the doors to the gym wide later in the week when continued rain
caused us to need to move camp indoors.
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| Cheer Coaches Baylee, Megan, Kristian, and Christina |
The one day when camp was entirely
rained out brought with it the opportunity to fellowship with a group of young
men who were volunteering with us. Friendships were built and the gospel was
proclaimed even though camp was cancelled.
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| The SQBR team with the cadets, who they got to do unexpected ministry with because of the storms |
Morning service projects were
exhausting and frustrating at times, but the SportQuest coaches formed in-depth
relationships with the Gardere children, learned their names and their stories
better than in previous years, and spent more time over all with them even when
the rain took away some camp time. During camp, I was over joyed to see how
well the coaches related to the children, how excited the children were to see
the coaches, and the ways in which the hard work of the mornings was tilling
the ground of the children’s hearts, making it more fertile for the gospel.
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| Jordyn reading to some of the girls from Gardere during the morning service project at the Christian school |
On a personal level, I learned a lot as a coordinator this
year. Every single year brings with it new challenges, but this year brought
extra challenges. I am learning how to ABIDE, how to trust the Lord and how to
be thankful for storms and pruning that make way for his vision and work to be
done in Gardere. I want SQBR to be all about him and not about me, all about
his glory. Sports are a tool, and so am I. He is the carpenter, the vinedresser…the
source.
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| Danielle (me) with one of the campers from the baseball camp |
My name is Danielle & I am the SQBR coordinator and director. I am also a PhD student in Sociology at Louisiana State University and a general sports enthusiast (Geaux Tigers!). I am very thankful for the completion of our 4th summer of SportQuest Baton Rouge and looking forward to what the Lord has in store for this project and our team in the future.
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