Discipleship isn’t a sprint or even a steady march; it’s a long obedience in the same direction.
This morning, I watched the sunrise over the ranch. The sky was gentle and full of promise, and a few deer moved quietly through the woods—unhurried, alert, and completely uninterested in my to-do list. I sat with my coffee, soaking in the stillness.
It struck me that meaningful growth—whether in faith, relationships, or life—can’t be rushed. It’s slow, relational, and often invisible. You don’t see immediate results—just questions, fatigue, and students or friends wrestling with identity, purpose, and trust.
And that’s okay.
Our role isn’t to hurry things along. It’s to stay present, to walk alongside others, to listen more than we speak. To offer a rhythm different from the campus rush—a rhythm that says, “You’re not a project. You’re a person. And Jesus is already at work in you.”
As Eugene Peterson described, it’s “a long obedience in the same direction.” And Richard Foster reminds us that the Spirit is a gentle gardener. With that posture—patient, prayerful, rooted—we find our way.
Today, whether you’re preparing for a meeting, sharing coffee with a friend, or simply catching your breath—remember: you’re tending to souls, not managing outcomes. And the sunrise reminds us—God is already ahead of us, lighting the path.
