Believing in others

Several years ago, one of my students used a quote from Hugh Hewitt’s book, In, But Not Of, to express her personal calling. “Given this perspective, that each soul is immortal, changing the trajectory of a soul’s path is a matter of infinite consequences” (Hewitt, 2012, p. 19). She went on to say that “walking in wisdom, I desire to be a soul-nudger.”

What an exciting opportunity we have today to be soul-nudgers with our family, friends, co-workers and others that we journey alongside. Be encouraged! Even a small change in trajectory can make a huge difference over time.

As a 15 year-old, I was not a model Brigader. I went to the weekly Christian Service Brigade* (CSB) meetings because they had some fun activities. Yet, the captain of our unit evidently saw something in me. One night, he asked me if I would be willing serve as a leader in the unit. I took up the challenge and served in that role for three years, learning much about leadership. Even after graduating from the program, I continued to serve as a Lieutenant in the same unit while attending Briercrest Bible College.

How much did CSB impact me? It certainly put me on a trajectory of Christ-centered servant leadership. Yet, perhaps even more importantly, one person, Captain Laurie Winters, believed in me and was willing to take a chance because he saw potential in me. However, the story doesn’t end there. My eldest son has been in the CSB program for the past seven years. This year, his captain (Don Reddick), asked him to be a leader.

People need us to believe in them.

*Christian Service Brigade is a church-based program where Christian men “guide groups of boys through action-packed , action-filled experiences that help them grow closer to God...and equip them to become our leaders of tomorrow” (http://www.csbministries.ca/).