the tortoise and the hare

Slow and steady wins the race. I am sure you have all heard this before, right? It is the famous fable told, many times to children, about a rabbit and a turtle.

Recently, I was driving in my car with my husband, Ben, following. I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out why he was going so slow. As I continually checked my review mirror, he just kept chugging along at what seemed like a snail’s (I guess I should say turtle’s) pace. As we both continued to drive, he would always catch me when I came upon a red light. It made me think about the fable.

Then my mind started to wander… I thought about how Ben cooks. He does it the exact same way… slow and steady (and might I add, he is the BEST COOK EVER!). As I watch him turn on our gas burner, he sets it at a low temperature, keeping the flame low and manageable. NOT ME! I turn that baby up as far as it will go! The faster it cooks, the faster I am finished. And if we take a look at the results, his scrambled eggs, because of the time and care he invests, they turn out creamy and delicious. When I make them - they are dry. I am not sure how eggs can be dry, but mine are - from my fast and furious cooking. Once again, slow and steady wins the race.

What about relationships? Does slow and steady win the race? When you are getting to know someone, is it best to tell them everything about you, throwing every detail at them in the first conversation?

What about when we want to tell them about Jesus? Is it best to firehose them with everything when we first meet them? Maybe. There may be times when Jesus calls us to share everything all at once. But in my experience and what I have seen happen more often is God calling me to build a relationship with a person - spending time and getting to know them. During that time, somewhere, Jesus comes up in the conversation. And then, God, as only God can do, does something. In His timing, He transforms hearts, drawing people to Himself.

It is not our timing. It is the Lord’s.
And a few weeks back, the Lord, in His perfect timing, transformed a heart at Ekklesia.

For five years, we have been traveling to Ethiopia to spend time with Ekklesia’s children and staff. Each time we go, we share love and Bible accounts and testimonies. For ten days, we show them why we come. We do our best to show them Jesus. And those that are believers at Ekklesia speak truth in love each day and live their lives reflecting Christ. I believe God used each of us, the staff and our teams, to be His hands and feet and to plant and water seeds. And then, God, as only God can do, transformed a heart and drew a man to Himself.

Today I am praying from Matthew 5:16 for each of us:

Heavenly Father… may we be a light to others, so that they may see your good works and give you all the glory.

Amen.