Everybody Needs a César

Author - Jauhmar Ellick

Here is the prompt question given to the team for this week's blog post.
How is God using one of your team members to sharpen you for God's use as a discipler of others (Proverbs 27:17)?

As I think about this question, it stomps me. It's more difficult than I realized at first. Identifying which team member God is using to sharpen my disciple-making skills is hard. I thought, "Should I pick them all?" This week's prompt was very specific in how it challenged me to look deeper than the entire team to one specific team member. I chose Cesar, again, if you've been reading my last blogs. If you haven't, stop reading here and check out "A Growing Boy." I think God is using Cesar to grow and prune me as a discipler of Jesus followers in many ways.

Where to start? Let's see...

Cesar is a wonderful storyteller. He captivates an audience with his loud voice and his wittiness. Cesar's a very funny guy who brings the story to life. He captures the essence of storytelling by just bringing you into what's going on. Cesar can break the story down to the level of a duckling (His name for 2-year-olds) up to a 70-year-old. I wondered how he does it, and then I realized
it's a God-given ability, and he's confident in what he stands for.

Cesar is not afraid to be the center of attention because he has Godfidence only found in the children of God. I see the Lord using him in my life, showing me how to be more Godfident in the name of Jesus. I am learning how not to be afraid of making little mistakes, to keep going forward with a bright smile, and to have fun with it. Through Cesar, God is showing me things I had forgotten. There was a time when I was growing up that I had been more like Cesar, Godfident in what I stood for. I had the Word of God on my side. Tragically, I lost that when something bad happened in my life. That event took a toll and shook me up to the point where I didn't care anymore. I started giving mediocre effort to the things I would do. It's funny how God works, isn't it? He can take your biggest "L's" and make them into great big "W's." I thank God for using Cesar to help me get that "mojo" back. Through him. God is sharpening the tools I will need to "Go and make disciples." But that's not all.

He's also using Cesar to teach me how to be patient in the small things, in the waiting. Cesar loves to just get things done. He does things I only imagined doing, like climbing into trees with a chainsaw and cutting down dead branches to something as simple as taking a screw out of pieces of wood. Cesar is knowledgeable when it comes to the "hands on" type of things that need to be accomplished in the household. A true handyman is always at work, and that's what he does. Cesar explained how it's difficult for him to teach people because he just likes to do it himself. However, he's learning to be patient with the little things and become Master Roshi. I believe Cesar knows that big things follow when you're patient and wait for someone to learn a skill. Now, he's taught me how to use a chainsaw, cut down trees and branches, cut weeds with a weed trimmer at a better angle, and not to strip a screw! God is using the knowledge and ability He gifted to Ceasar to gift me for somebody else. I love Cesar for putting the work and time into becoming willing to help others with things he could easily take care of himself. His selfless acts are being brought out to help me realize you can't battle by yourself!

For lack of a better term, Cesar is a brother from another mother who's also my brother. He's my friend, and God's showing us why you always should have some Cesar in your life. I could have chosen the entire team because God is using everyone. But in this season, He's specifically using Cesar to show me how to become a better discipler.

CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK
Who is God using in your life to help you be a better discipler? Is there more than one? If so, how are they making you a better friend?

PROVERBS 27:17