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Stuck in the Middle

Stuck in the Middle

Over the holidays, I had a chance to sit with my son and investigate his love life. I felt my parental duty was to harass him with my investigative probing. During our conversation, he explained how much he and his girlfriend enjoyed spending time with each other. He mentioned several things that seemed to connect them. One surprise was that both were middle children throughout their childhood years.

Usually, this spot in the family is viewed as a negative, but they both reflected on how being the middle child had helped them be better people. Because they were stuck in the middle, they experienced the demand from older siblings to “fall in line” and “know their place in the food chain. But, they also developed leadership skills because they had younger siblings they could mentor. They recognized that being stuck in the middle of their siblings was a blessing.

As children of God, we, too, are called to live in the middle. From our new birth, until we pass from this earth, we should have someone mentoring and growing our faith. We should seek to establish and maintain a strong relationship with someone with a stronger relationship and walk with Christ than ourselves. We all need that encourager who pours wisdom by words and example into our lives. Likewise, from the day of our salvation, we should be searching for and mentoring those who have a newer walk than we have. Even from the beginning, we have friends, family, and coworkers who need Jesus. We must also be seeking these people out.

As Christians, we should always be searching for a mentor and someone who we can also mentor. We are called to live a life that is in the middle. This year, make it a personal goal to get in between these two people. Reach in both directions, extending one hand to someone who can help you grow and the other hand out to someone you can pull along. Some of us may not have benefited from being the middle child, but we should all choose to become one in our faith journey.

Eric Bowman

 

Eric Bowman ovalEric is our associate pastor, working with outreach and youth ministry as well as adult discipleship and growth. Eric retired from a 28-year career in public education as a high school band director in 2019 and is now living his lifelong dream as a pastor. Eric and his wife, Diana, continue to live in Henry County where they have been lifetime residents. They "raised" three children and are now making their best attempt at "raising" themselves.


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