I have had some very influential people in my life, people who modeled what it means to follow Jesus to me, people whose realness was a breath of fresh air while I was choking on the all the hypocrisy around me. One of those people is a man named Russ Warner. Russ directs the camp where I became a follower of Jesus. And I have learned so very much from him about what it really means to walk in the steps of Jesus.

Russ is fond of little sayings, that might sound like cliches except if you really pay attention to them, they are packed with some profound truth. For instance, Russ, used to say to us if we were grouching and complaining or just having a bad and frustrating day, “Do you need to take a walk in the woods with Jesus?” (I say that sometimes to people in my life.)

Russ also used to say that everyone needs “time and room to grow.” Time and room to grow. I can’t fix somebody - including myself - overnight. People don’t change instantly. It is not something that can be forced upon them. And the more I crowd them, the more likely I am to slow the growth process in their life. The Bible describes God as being longsuffering with us. He gives us time and room to grow.

We know that we need grace to start the journey with Jesus. Maybe what we need to remember is that we also need grace for every step of the way.

What do you think?