What I Live For

The following e-mail took over 3 months to work its way to me, and I'm not even sure who originally wrote it.

What I do know is that I had the privilege of discipling John Seid to the best of my meagre ability during my senior year of college - his freshman year. There were four other guys (mostly freshmen) in our discipleship group, which they named "The BBS" (for Barlow Bible Study). We had a lot of fun in our group meetings and in our 1-to-1 times - at least, it's only the fun times I remember! God gave us, I think, a special camaraderie during that time.

Although I've never met the guy mentioned in the message below, I feel that, in a small but real way, I am a part of his ministry - because God used me in John's life, and God used John in Colin's. He wants to do the same, and more, with your life.

Read on . . . (slightly edited for spelling and clarity):

Sent: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 4:18 PM
Subject: the impact of one Navigator

Dear NavStaff Friends,

I want to share with you the importance that your ministries make. You might want to share this with your young leaders.

This past weekend I was at the Men's retreat and talked with our speaker Colin Saxton. We were comparing notes on our history as I learned, like me, Colin is a 45 year old male, who's been walking with Christ for the last 25 years. And like me he came to Christ while in college without any Christian family support. It turns out he was at the University of Oregon and living in one of the coed dorms. Just after a party (maybe even during it) he had just come off of a heavy overdose of drugs when a student walked in named John Seid. John proceeded to share the gospel with him. Colin said it best, "John treated me like a treasure, rather than like someone who was lost."

John was associated with a group of students on campus called the Navigators. It was because of John's faithfulness and obedience to be compassionate to one desperate college student, who hated the life that he lived, but didn't know there was another way, that today, we find Colin, ministering throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho and literally around the world as the Superintendent of the Northwest Yearly Meeting of Evangelical Friends, touching 10s, 100s, 1000s and millions (think India) of lives with the grace of God.

John Seid, wherever you are – Thanks!

Keep seeking God's treasures – you might find one at a party this weekend.

Blessed Regards,

Rick

The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly. (Isaiah 60.22)