surf school for disciples

While we were in California, we took a morning to drive down to Newport beach and let the boys swim in the Pacific ocean. The beaches there are much different from what we are used to on the East Coast. They are wide and deep and filled with Baywatch lifeguards and lifeguard stands. This particular beach was one Jim used to hang out at when he was kid and so with the visit came memories of the past.
We arrived at the beach with only ourselves and our towels. Jim has this hang up about looking like tourists and carrying tons of stuff to the beach. So, we simply parked our car, picked up our towels and walked the 100 yards of sand to the ocean. The boys ran and played, enjoying the surf. While Jim, Drew and I watched the surfers that were shredding the surf as if it were cotton they were surfing instead of waves. I sat on the beach and took pictures and enjoyed the scene of my children, my husband and the surf.
That is until something else caught my eye. And NO it was not a Lifeguard. (lol) It was these groups of children in wetsuits. Some as small as 4, others as old as 15, but they all were doing different activities-TOGETHER. I am all about the TOGETHER right now, so I was intrigued. I love to people watch and discovered after a few minutes that surf camp was going on and we had parked ourselves in the middle of the beach where kids were learning how to surf. Enthralled and interested in how and what they were teaching these children, I began to watch as they did differing activities to train their reflexes and teach them the skills they will need to know to be able to stand on a surf board, while at the same time, watching the myriad of people surfing. You had the experienced surfers, riding the waves and the inexperienced, learning through training.
After about an hour or so of watching the kids in their activities, I began to see a group that had surfboards, heading out into the water. They were on long boards and there was an instructor with each child. It was so amazing to watch as the instructor would walk the child through EVERY step of what it was going to look and feel like. He didn't just tell him how to do it, but was out in the water, showing him how to paddle past the waves. And then he turned the child around, held onto the back of the child's board (they were only waste deep) and he would help the child stand while the wave was coming and then gently let go and let him ride the board in to the shore. Some would fall, some would make it. But I was not intrigued by the children. I was struck by the instructor and what a cool picture of disciple making that was.
You see, the instructor didn't just teach, speak or tell the pupils. He didn't just stand on the shore and shout instructions. He got wet. He stood right beside the student. He literally walked with him through every step of the process and as a result, surfers were being produced.
I sat on the beach and thought to myself-that is what I am supposed to do. That is what the church is supposed to do. That is what Jesus commanded us to do. Make Disciples. Jesus came to make disciples and He didn't do it by yelling instruction from heaven. He came in the form of a man and walked with those men-every step, showing them how to live, how to make disciples, how to sacrifice, serve, love and obey. Because the best disciple maker is one that gets wet. Or gets dirty. Or gets involved...of just gets in. The best disciple maker is the one who is willing to sacrifice their comfort to journey into the water and help the student learn every step of the process so that nothing is missed, no shortcuts are taken and no mistakes become habit.
I think I had church that morning. God spoke through a surf school to my heart and reminded me that what we want to produce are those who shred the waves-learned disciples. But the way to do that is to walk out the process-every step with those whom the Lord has given you to teach, so that we don't reproduce badly-but those who can ride the waves. The best disciple makers.....GET WET!ALL FOR YOU