Attracters – I have had more than a few

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Today’s Blog Post


Attracters – I have had more than a few

Okay, Okay… I need to balance what I say. I know it comes out wrong sometimes… at least to some who feel that perhaps I have lost it with “Distracters” in my life. Sorry that is not true. (Referring to yesterday’s posting about “Distracters”.)

As I reflected yesterday on the 6 folk that tended to Distract the whole church – I can’t forget the wonderful things and the wonderful people that flooded my life over the last 10 years of my working career. They are almost too many to write about. If I did there would be so many chapters that it would be more than just one book… in fact it would be volumes upon volumes.

With the thought that Distracters are kind of like slivers that you get in a finger or toe causing the limb to not work so good. By plucking it out simply frees that limb to do better than ever before.

In order to really look at the whole and catch the magic moments that took place I have a simple method to looking back. I call it the “What if Test” Or “WIT”.

As I applied it to the last 10 years and actually the whole of the 35 years as a minister and the 10 years prior to that in the business world I am blown away I have come to see and remember better the people in my life. WIT asks what if so and so had not come into my life?

On Friday I walked through the Transition House on Clonsilla in Peterborough. I had the wonderful task of sharing the story of the home for ex-offenders with a Government CSC official. The person was more than impressed with what has taken place and with the men that we met together.

As we shared together I told her of the time that Dan Haley walked into to my life (actually into my office), slumped down on the couch and shared his extreme frustration with me. I told the story how he was ready to ‘kill’ or do great damage to a business man in Peterborough that had attended the same church as his family. While Dan had been working to help men coming from prison and getting settled in the community, the Christian man in his former church, had molested his son – right under his wife and his nose.

The other church leadership refused to help Dan and his family. The man was charged and convicted, given a very light sentence and lived easily in the community – still attending church.

Dan and his family stopped attending church – until that day he walked into my office.

Fast forward to now. Dan’s life and ministry has flourished. Today along with the Transition House and its work with men coming from prison – Dan has about 100 volunteers in our community.

See I told you that the story is almost too long to tell. The above paragraphs sum up 10 years of Dan and I working together.

Then there is ….
As I look back over the years, either in Peterborough or in all the other areas that we have served in, the young leaders stand out. They came to me as young men and women, sometimes even children. And today they are amazing leaders all over the world.

I think of Jamie that is now the Minister in a Brampton church. Recently he told me that the church has grown by 1000 people since he has taken the leadership. Jamie came into my life as a 12 year old. His wife came into my life as an Intern when we lived in Hong Kong, not knowing what might happen in her life in the years to come – unsure.

I think of John who was about 7 years old when he came into my life. He was a complete rascal and full of mischief. Now he is a Pastor and a very capable executive member of a huge district in Canada.

I think of Scott who is now a leader in the Peterborough area. He came into my life as very needy young boy in Oakville. He hated everyone and was angry with his world. His single mother tried hard to look after her kids… but Scott pushed her to the wall – the same way that he nearly drove my fellow Boy’s club leaders crazy. Scott is amazing and leads a large outreach of over 300 people.

I need to mention another Scott, who is now serving as a teacher in Korea. He loved working with the Youth. He loved teaching and sharing his ideas. Now he is doing that with the next generation of Korean Leadership coming up. When he came into my life he had experienced a confusing family up bringing and didn’t really have a father. I not only hired him but also adopted him.

Next is Mike. I talked to Mike the other day. He is now an amazing leader affecting and influencing a large part of Northern Ontario with his work. He referred back to what he did with me as one of my assistants. He talked about how he had picked up the graces to work with the Distracters in his life. He said, “I remember how you dealt with that problem and thought to myself maybe I can too. Thank you!”

I adopted Mike too and share him with his own parents.

Yesterday I met with Tracy that had come to me as an assistant as well. She now has two kids and a wonderful husband. They are doing very well.

Then there is “G” who entered my life shortly after I came home from Hong Kong. We had shared all the creative ways to help people in the community. I told him how we had used all the creative things that we do such as wood carving, tatting, and quilt making to help people living in the squalid conditions of slums in South East Asia.

I read an email from “G” this morning early. He and his family now live in China and are helping the very poor of Northern China and the people that cross over to China from North Korea. They are using a creative way through music and another way that I can’t mention here to help people. They distribute food such as rice and hand cranking lights – where no batteries are available.

“G” is amazing to say the least – very thankful for our short times together.

What about Joy? She came to Hong Kong to work with me between 1980 and 1985. She was only there about two weeks. She listened to everything I said intently. She was quiet and kind of stood off to the side – but participated in all that we did.

Today Joy is an International Speaker that works all over Africa. Thousands upon thousands of future African leaders from many different countries make their way into her sessions. Joy is not so quiet anymore she is dynamic and a motivator as a speaker. And she is a perfect example to woman that had found herself and life work by helping others.

She contacted me lately and told me of a letter that she had from me. I had written it to her when she was in Hong Kong. It was given to her as Thank You Note when she was getting on to the airplane to fly back to Canada. I had added words of encouragement to this shy young lady. She said, “Murray I still have the note that you wrote to me. I read it again the other day. All that you said in the note has come true.”

Wow. I can’t remember the note, but I can remember her smile as she received it.

Then there is Sherri, Elizabeth, Rachel, Louise, Mary-lynn, Jason, George, Heather, John, Jake, Peter, Liz, Lucy, Abe, Sheldon, Shawn, and about 1000 other young folk that walked into my life… left a deep impression on me… and perhaps me on them… and today are doing amazing things around the world. And this list no where nearly covers the ones that call and write now.

There have been seniors that have been great. But most are gone now. And that is why the youth have so deeply impressed me. They don’t die nearly so soon but rather go on to do stunning things with there lives – and I get to see it or hear about it!!!!

There have been Distracters for sure. But the Attracters are far greater in number… and have made it all worthwhile.

Sheesh I have a warm glow all around my body as I write this.

I gotta go… gotta run. I have group of Teenagers to meet this AM. I can’t wait!!!!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/