I love multiplication!

Well, actually math was never one of my best subjects.  I do better with words. But today, I love multiplication. Lisa, (the woman in the purple shirt), and I have been in a discipleship relationship for the last 18 months.  We have grown really close as we have walked through some tough life issues together.  I have seen the Lord lovingly work on Lisa and on me during this time and it has been an encouraging process that runs two-ways.

We finished today. I hate to see the weekly connection end (though, of course, the friendship doesn't). But since we knew this day was inevitable, I have been prompting her to begin praying for step 2 of discipleship...the one where she becomes the mentor/discipler/leading partner for someone else.

Someday, I want to share Lisa's testimony with you.  She came from a home with a father who was not her hero, to say the least.  And yet, God wooed and called and rescued her and became the Father to her that her heart  longed for.  Her road to maturity in Christ has had its challenges (in large measure due to her earthly father's weaknesses), but she is so teachable and so absolutely committed to being all that she is designed to be in Him.

So today, I wrote her an encouraging note and gave it to her along with a little gift as we sat in Starbucks.  In it, I reminded her of our prayer for the woman who would be her step 2 partner.  After she read the card, she looked up at me and said with a hint of nervousness, " I am having lunch today with Maira.  We became friends on the church mission trip. (See women in the blue shirt and hat above...) Do you think God wants me to ask her?"  

Maira has been in a couple of the women's Bible Studies that I have taught.  She has a beautiful heart to serve. Each week she would get to the morning studies early to put on the coffee.  And, she has been on several of those yearly church mission trips. During the Radical study, she confessed that though she wants to tell others about Christ, she feels at a loss about how to go about it.  I see in her a young woman with a heart to grow and reach out.  She just needs someone to come alongside her and show the way.

So my answer to Lisa's question was, "Yes! Totally!!"  Lisa invited me to come have lunch with them so as Lisa and I ended our meeting, I prayed...that Maira would be like an apple on a tree that was ready to be picked, with no tugging required.

We left Starbucks and drove to Panera Bread. (I like my office space, don't you?) I smiled as Lisa hesitantly laid out the offer and smiled even bigger when Maira responded with, "I can't think of any reason I wouldn't want to!"

Spiritual multiplication.  Yep.  I love multiplication. :)