Help me be more loving.
Give me the strength to get through
this tough conversation.
Tim
Stevens
Help me be more patient.
Back to my evil neighbor Tom who had
the audacity to over-water his grass. As
I was mowing my lawn, instead of living
in the cesspool of my own anger and
bitterness, I began to pray. I prayed that
God would change my heart. I prayed
that I would become more loving. I
prayed that I would stop obsessing
about things that didn’t matter. I prayed
that I’d have opportunities to build a
friendship with Tom. I prayed that God
would help me become more loving.
And you know what? Before long I
stopped caring as much about that
corner of my yard. Yeah, I still wished
it was green and manicured. But more
than that, I cared about Tom. I began
looking for opportunities to express
love in tangible ways to Tom and his
family.
I don’t know if prayer changes my
circumstances. I’m not sure it does
much to change someone else. But I
know prayer can change my heart.
Because it has. And it does.
Tim Stevens is the Vice President
of Consulting at Vanderbloemen
Search Group. His books on church
vision and organizational culture
include Pop Goes the Church,
Vision: Lost & Found, and Fairness
Is Overrated. Stevens joined
Vanderbloemen from Granger
Community Church, in Granger,
Indiana, where he served as the
Executive Pastor for twenty years
and was instrumental in helping
the congregation grow from a
group meeting in a movie theater
to a world-impact ministry.
Learn more about Tim and his
latest book, Marked By Love, at:
www.leadingsmart.com
Solutions • 9