Every day at the Lead Like Jesus office in Augusta, GA., we begin with devotions and prayer led by different staff members. Recently, Mary Tucker, executive assistant to Phyllis Hendry, LLJ president/CEO, shared a story from her pastor, which he learned from his grandmother. It clearly expresses Lead Like Jesus’ emphasis on our habits and concepts! Read on:
Jenny and her father were very close and enjoyed spending time together. They loved to go on walks together, fish together or just sit and talk together. In fact, they loved to do everything together. It was such a warm, loving relationship.
One day Jenny realized fall was coming soon, and her father had no gloves to wear in the cold weather. She decided for his birthday she’d make him a pair of gloves. She would take every spare moment to work on them to be sure they were finished for the special day!!
One afternoon her father came to her bedroom door and after a little knock called out to see if she was ready to go for a walk with him. She told him she was busy and could not go. The next day he came and ask if she’d like to sit and talk but her reply was the same. This pattern went on for several weeks.
Finally, the big day arrived! Jenny was very excited to give her father the gloves she’d made for him. She gave him the gift. He opened it and looked up at her. He told her how much he appreciated how hard she’d worked and they were beautiful! Then he looked into her eyes and said, “Jenny, I’ve missed the time we spend together. The most important gift you can ever give me is the gift of yourself!”
Our Heavenly Father feels the same way. He wants to develop a relationship with us and to spend time with us. This is the way we know him more. Our relationship is built through the time we spend with Him reading and studying our Bible, in prayer, and in our times of solitude when we listen for His sweet voice.
Written by Debbie Piper
