take me to your leader.

I started leading thing at a very young age. I'm not sure how old you are when you're in the 5th grade, but it was in the 5th grade. It's possible I had taken the role as 'leader' prior to the 5th grade, but it was then that I can remember physically leading something.

I wish I could say its been all uphill since then...but the reality is that leading is something I have done really well, and have failed miserably at. I have led in a wide array of capacities from youth rallies and missions trips to simply challenging the thinking of others and standing up for whats right...even if it wasn't easy.

In the last year or two (since the fall after college) I have intentionally not led anything...outright. It was the end of a crazy time in life where I literally went from one big event to another, leading this and running that moving here and living there. In many ways I had lost sight of who I was and where I came from....and more importantly where I was going.

So I moved home, hung out, practiced being instead of doing and finally dealt with some old hurts and wounds. It has been beautiful. I've reconnected with many old friends, and picked up some new ones. I became apart of this community of 20somethings at a church I now belong to....which was a HUGE step for me. I've pulled pieces of my experiences over the last few years and discovered how intimately they are connected and define this story I'm living in.

Over the last few months I find myself in the midst of these 'things' coming up, leadership opportunities. Like life is moving again, and if I don't watch out I'll soon be spinning faster and faster with all these things making me "busy." But I'm realizing this sense of maturity within me. Wiser choices and a stronger connect with the one who created me to lead.

I was going to lead this trip, and am now I'm not, but in preparation for the trip I was reading this book, Spiritual Leadership...by Oswald....something-or-other. It has been good for me. To sit and think about leadership, and not get thrown into it. And if I have discovered one thing during this time since I've been home, its that I was created to lead.

Lead what...I'm not sure, but I know where to start. Right where I'm planted.