As I sat in the seminar, I was so struck by this statement that I've co-opted it for myself.
It was a chalk art seminar being taught by Ding Teuling. For those not familiar with what I'm talking about when I say "chalk art," basically, a minister will give a short sermon, and follow it up by drawing a related image to further the impact of the message, often while particular music is being played. Sometimes they are referred to as chalk talks.
Ding has probably done more with this type of ministry than anyone else. He's been doing it for over 60 years. Instead of being content with just ministering to others with his gift, he has been teaching others how to do it for most of that time.
As he has expressed before, it only makes sense to teach others how to do these works as opposed to trying to keep the glory to himself. He describes it like a single soldier, facing a mighty enemy. At the soldiers feet are hundreds of weapons, but he can only handle one at a time. If someone comes along, wanting to help, it is only in the soldier's best interest to show them how to fire that weapon. Same if 10 or even 20 others come to help. We are in a battle for the lost, facing a mighty enemy in the devil and his minions. It is in our best interenst to equip as many to win the lost for Christ as possible.
Back to what I was saying. Ding has been at this for over 60 years, and he is effective and very, very good at it. It was in that seminar that we sat in no small amount of awe watching this man deftly display his abilities.
Someone commented on how amazing Ding was. His response?
"Me? I'm just dirt pushing dirt."
At that moment, we were all brought back to the real point of it all. Ding could have soaked up the glory, but it wasn't his. God deserved the glory, and Ding had found a very simple way to remind himself of that, and in turn, to remind us all of that same lesson. We were formed from dirt by the True Artist, and the chalks, while pretty, were basically just colored dirt formed into sticks.
Dirt pushing dirt.
Anything that came out of something like that? Had to be God. Plain and simple. The knowledge and skill picked up by Ding over the years was a gift of God.
That week, I knew that God wanted me to also enter that same ministry. And, though it has not been an easy path, I'm on my way to that. Of all the lessons I learned that week, though, the most valuable will be the wonderful lesson of true humility I learned from Ding - I'm just dirt pushing dirt.
Type at you later.
(Another Request - Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern)
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