‘Follow’ is not a trendy word, unless it’s on social media
To follow is not an ambitious admired way to live
It doesn’t photograph well. Following does not make you look good
It won’t impress anyone other than the one who checks to see if you are following
But do they really cares not followers?
Jesus said ‘follow me’
His way is far different than other kingdoms, empiresor projects
It requires attention. The angels declared ‘Behold!’ A different agenda was announced,
Jesus said to seek His kingdom, His righteousness, His will
He did not suggest, or advise, but commanded
To follow is to be all in, the benefit is to not be lacking.
To not want anything else requires self denial.
Following is surrender of the self
Jesus is the leader. His way requires effort, initiative
It’s the choice of each person to grasp the all in invitation
To follow has no guarantee to be pain free, problem free, predicament free
It may involve trauma, crisis and chaos
To follow means to trust Him, regardless of the issue
Even in the crisis, He will restore, renew, and strengthen
To follow is to be internally strong - acknowledging the strength is His presence
Knowing His strength in us is threatening to the enemy, bringing accusations of weakness, nonsense, and dependence
Wandering off path brings weakness, confusion, anemia, atrophy
To follow Jesus is to discover that our Triune God is already at work, networking factors unseen to teach us that He loves us
To follow Jesus gives us wisdom, empowering us to count our days for Him
Following Jesus has convinced me that this life is short, eternity is long
Following is discovering that I do not control outcomes
Releasing my need to manipulate or put a spin on my story
Following is trusting His unconditional love, testing in my Father’s care as His beloved
Grasping that He is gentle, patient, generous, and most of all, loving
Following is cultivating the soil in my soul holds possibility
Following cultivates the soil nutrients for growth
A tiny mustard seed springs roots of faith hope and love
Past wounds, regrets, and grief are healed in His love
Our scars and limps transform our character into His likeness
Following His way does not earn a better status, but brings honor to His love and invitation
Our wounds are treated by the Great Physician
Our turmoil is calmed by the Prince of peace
Our lack of stability is ruled by the King of kings
Our loneliness is resolved by being adopted into the family of our ABBA Father
Our longing and yearning find belonging in Hos kingdom
Our story is already unfolding.we are eternal beings learning to follow the Shepherd
Following involves one step at a time, one day at a time, one moment a time
Following is simple but the hardest thing we do
Following Him trusting that He will dhow up, comforting our grief, holding us when we feel like falling
Following is learning to listen for His gentle voice, waiting, developing acute discernment to His voice
Following is watching, waiting, looking for His kingdom opportunities,
Following is leaving the desire for my own illusion of my kingdoms of power, possessions and prestige
Trusting His lead is forgetting to calculate comparisons, charts, living by formulas
Following is being blind to boundaries of culture, background, handicaps, deficiencies
Trusting His Grace and mercy for the journey, anticipating His expanding longdom to be hlobal, yet intimately personal
Following is learning to be a learner, discovering new mercies for each new challenge
Learning from those who have gone before us
Following becomes a rhythm of practice, filtering out distractions and noise
Trusting that slowing down is healthy for our soul, staying distant from the life of hurry
Following is to stay in His presence, attached to His love
Grasping to His calm, steady, safe protection
Following is facing the enemy within and around us
Discerning wolves that look like sheep in the flock
Realizing that the Lion of Judah lives in our hearts,
Following is trusting the words of Scripture, knowing that the word knows us better than we know ourselves
Abiding, living in the quiet truth hidden in our hearts
Following is learning to live chin above all else, learning to love others as He loves
Seeking to be transparent, vulnerable, reflecting the Light of truth, goodness and beauty
We tend what we attend to.
What we give our attention to:
our bodies, our relationships, our communities, our interior lives,
slowly takes shape.
Not all at once.
Not dramatically.
But faithfully.
This year, I want to attend differently.
Less rushing.
Less performing.
Less proving.
More listening.
More noticing.
More staying with what is fragile and unfinished.
Tenderness is not weakness
Tend is inseparable from tenderness.
Tenderness is strength that has refused to harden.
It’s love that has learned restraint.
It’s courage that no longer needs armor.
In a world that trains us to move on quickly, tenderness stays.
This year, I want my life to grow softer, not smaller, but truer.
Less defended.
More open.
Tend is the work of a Haven
As our church moves toward becoming a Haven,
this word feels less like a plan and more like a gift.
A haven isn’t something you build once.
It’s something you maintain.
A haven is kept safe by attention.
It’s sustained by care.
It remains a refuge only as long as it is tended.
That feels like the truest work of the church right now,
not fixing the world,
not saving it through force or certainty,
but tending life with love.
A quiet intention for the year
So this is my intention:
To tend my body with patience.
To tend relationships with care.
To tend grief without rushing it.
To tend my work without squeezing the life out of it.
To tend my faith without forcing answers.
To trust that God is already here.
And that faithful presence is enough.
If you’re carrying a word this year,
I hope it meets you gently.
And if you’re not
maybe this is a season to let a word find you.
For me, this year isn’t about doing more.
It’s about tending what has already been entrusted to me.
———-
Tend is not a flashy word
It’s not ambitious.
It doesn’t photograph well.
It won’t impress anyone.
Tend is the word of gardeners and nurses.
Of shepherds and parents.
Of people who show up again tomorrow.
Tending is repetitive.
It’s slow.
It requires attention.
And that’s exactly why it feels like the right word for me.
Tend assumes God is already at work
This is what finally convinced me.
Tending does not assume I am the healer.
It assumes God is already present.
The soil already holds possibility.
The wound already carries the work of healing.
The story is already unfolding.
My task is not to control outcomes or rush growth.
My task is simpler and harder:
To show up.
To pay attention.
To stay.
There’s a quiet truth hidden in this word.
We tend what we attend to.
What we give our attention to:
our bodies, our relationships, our communities, our interior lives,
slowly takes shape.
Not all at once.
Not dramatically.
But faithfully.
This year, I want to attend differently.
Less rushing.
Less performing.
Less proving.
More listening.
More noticing.
More staying with what is fragile and unfinished.
Tend is inseparable from tenderness.
Tenderness is strength that has refused to harden.
It’s love that has learned restraint.
It’s courage that no longer needs armor.
In a world that trains us to move on quickly, tenderness stays.
This year, I want my life to grow softer, not smaller, but truer.
Less defended.
More open.
As our church moves toward becoming a Haven,
this word feels less like a plan and more like a gift.
A haven isn’t something you build once.
It’s something you maintain.
A haven is kept safe by attention.
It’s sustained by care.
It remains a refuge only as long as it is tended.
That feels like the truest work of the church right now,
not fixing the world,
not saving it through force or certainty,
but tending life with love.
A quiet intention for the year
So this is my intention:
To tend my body with patience.
To tend relationships with care.
To tend grief without rushing it.
To tend my work without squeezing the life out of it.
To tend my faith without forcing answers.
To trust that God is already here.
And that faithful presence is enough.
If you’re carrying a word this year,
I hope it meets you gently.
And if you’re not
maybe this is a season to let a word find you.
For me, this year isn’t about doing more.
It’s about tending what has already been entrusted to me.
- Paul Dazet
“Lord,” I pray, “I cannot do this on my own. I need You to do what I cannot do. Take hot coals of fire and place them upon my heart. Let my heart burn—not with emotion, but with the sound of Your voice. Guide my pen today” - Steve Porter
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