Chapter Twelve - The Turning

The terrain had become much more difficult. The living water was refreshing and energizing, but we had gone many days with no solid food. We looked for fruit trees, but had not found any. After we crested a particularly difficult hill, we were all weak. We could not even find the stream to drink from. As we sat resting, William came to sit next to me.

“I have thought a lot about our conversation on leadership, and as I told you, I’m glad to help in any way that I can,” William offered. “Is there something specific that you think you can do to help us?” I asked. William continued, “I really care about these people, and I admit to being a little protective of them when you showed up, but I’ve come to trust you. However, there are some here that I do not trust.” “Please continue,” I said. “I think you know these people much better than I do.” “There is a clique that has formed. It’s mostly the young people and the youth. You have surely noticed how they stand off from the rest of the group now. I think they have their own agenda. I think that if we do not find water and food soon, they will break away and go off on their own. They could take many of the others with them.” “This is helpful to know,” I said. “Have they caused any specific problems yet?” “The only problem I think they’ve caused so far is to make some of the others uncomfortable. The problems people like that cause only come when other real problems surface.” William said, looking at me with obvious and grave concern. “How can we remedy this?” I asked. “I’m so used to dealing with another generation, I don’t know if I could be much help with them,” William continued. “They are important to us,” I said. “We may be here more for them than they are here for us. Finding solutions and turning problems into solutions is essential for us to make it through this wilderness. If this is a major problem we have a major opportunity.” “Do you not think that some situations here are simply meant to be a trap?” Andrew, the young officer from the ship asked, who had come to sit with us. “That is a good question, and I agree that there are situations here that are traps intended for evil. Even so, they have been allowed so that we can learn to overcome evil with good. Every one of them has something important to teach us. Andrew, were they this way on the ship too?” I asked. “Yes they were, but as we started out on this journey they seemed to draw closer to the rest of the group. Then I noticed them begin to drift apart again. One seems to have arisen as their leader, and I think he may be the cause of this.” “Let’s go pay them a visit,” I said.

The young adults and youth were just a little off to themselves and were about twenty-four in number. I had been observing them from a distance too, and one of them stood out as the obvious leader. As I looked at them now he was seemingly holding court with a semi-circle arrayed in front of him. Others were standing around behind him, but all were listening to what he was saying.

When I got near and greeted them, they all turned to me and gave me their attention, but it was not with a lot of enthusiasm. In fact, they reacted as if they thought I was going to scold them. “We need your help,” I began. “How can we help you?” the leader asked. “We need trained, skilled watchmen who have courage and discernment,” I replied. “We’re neither trained nor skilled at being watchmen,” one of them said. “You may not be trained yet, but you are skilled. You have discernment and the kind of courage it will take to do this job,” I said. “What makes you think that?” the leader responded. “I could not help but notice that when the lion attacked us most of you were not that afraid. You were not paralyzed like some of the others. In fact, you seemed ready to fight, even excited by the challenge of it. I started watching you then, and I could not help but see how perceptive you are. “I also saw how interested you are in Mark and his gift. That’s because many of you have the same gift. It will awaken in you on this journey if it has not already. You are drawn to the supernatural because you are called to a supernatural life, and you are being prepared for the last battle which will be supernatural. Many of you are called as prophets. The foundation of prophetic ministry is being a watchman,” I said. “We are in need of watchmen, and you are in need of the experience.” Virtually the entire group had become much more interested, and some even enthusiastic. One of the girls seemed very unenthusiastic, so I asked her what she was thinking. “My parents said that those who claim to be watchmen are almost all bitter, critical people who just sow division and discord in others,” she said. “I was in a lot of rebellion to my parents, so I started listening to some of those who called themselves watchmen, and I even read some of their material. I have to admit that my parents were right. They seemed negative toward everyone and everything. I don’t remember ever hearing any of them say anything good or positive about anyone. If we become like that, I do not think it will lead us to the mountain of the Lord,” she said. “That is an interesting and important insight,” I responded, “That is just the kind of discernment

we need. She is right about the critical spirit that is in many self-proclaimed watchmen. There

are a number of reasons for this, but the main one could be that the people who have the gifts and callings have not taken their place, so others who are not called to do it fill the void. “What is your name?” I asked the girl. “Alexis,” she replied. “Alexis, you are obviously one who is committed to truth and depth if you were willing to search out what your parents said about this group. What else did you learn?” “There is a bitterness and critical spirit in so many of them that it is a spiritual poison. It destroys and does not build up. I think it is rooted in unforgiveness, or having disappointments and wounds that never healed.” “Alexis, these are important insights,” I continued. “There are unique traps set for every one of us here. To become overly critical and negative is a trap set especially for those who are called to be watchmen and prophets. Those who fall into that trap end up sowing fear and division instead of faith and love for God and one another. This poison can be much more deadly than all of the false teachers and false shepherds combined. What I am asking you to do is dangerous, but we need you.

“Not forgetting this warning that Alexis has brought to our attention, let me share some of the good things about this calling. We are called to walk by faith, not fear. We must be wise and discerning enough to see the traps, but our basic purpose is to look for the right path, not just the wrong ones. For this reason, the watchmen are usually the first to see the wonders and the glory. “We are changed into the image of what we behold, and if we’re just looking at and studying the enemy all of the time we can start to take on his nature. Biblical watchmen were also to be on the lookout for the coming of the King or His messengers, to warn the people of their approach so that they could have a proper reception prepared. “It’s true that critical people rarely build anything, but just tear down. Such may be stumbling blocks, but there would not be so many of those if the true called ones would rise up and take their place as watchmen for the body. We need those of you who are called to this to take your place and learn to do it the right way. “It is not a small thing I’m asking of you. There is a lot of danger involved. You will be in the vanguard, and when there is danger you will be the first to face it. It will take a lot of courage, and it will take wisdom and discernment. Even though some of you are very young, you will have to mature quickly to do this job. “What is your name?” I asked the apparent leader. “My name is Charlie.” “Do you mind if I call you Charles?” “No. I don’t mind.” “Charles, would you mind acting as a leader of the watchmen?” I asked. “I’m open, but why me?” he asked. “Because you’re a leader, and you’re mature beyond your years. I also think you care enough for these people that you would not abandon them and would do what it takes to protect them,” I replied. “How do you know so much about me?” Charles asked. “It is my job to know those who are with us,” I replied. After a long moment, Charles replied, “I’ll help you get this going. I can see that having trained watchmen is going to be critical if we’re going to make it through this place.” “All watchmen are critical, Charles, but your job will be even more so,” I added. “You will have to watch out for the watchmen. You must be free to come to me any time to talk about anything that concerns you. “I would also like to get to know all of you a little better. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?” I continued. “No,” several of them said. “What were your reasons for coming on this journey and leaving behind such a comfortable ship?” I began. Their reasons were varied, but a common thread was boredom. They needed adventure. Several wanted to get to know the Lord better. They said they were just hearing about Him on the ship, but they were not experiencing Him. The depth and sincerity of most of their answers was very encouraging, even to William and Andrew who were obviously impressed.

I then asked Charles to divide the group into teams of four each who would begin to stand watch with the men and women who had been volunteering as watchmen. I asked William to introduce them to those who were presently working as watchmen. As I got up to walk away, William and Andrew began a conversation with a few of them and remained behind. After the meeting with the watchmen, we sent two groups to go before us down the hill to scout out the path and seek water. About an hour later messengers returned saying they had found an adequate place to camp for the evening, but still had not found water. I was getting concerned that I had missed a turn and had led them on a wrong path. If this was the case we would have to go back to where we missed the turn. The wrong path will never become the right path, but will take you further and further from the right path. Going back is always discouraging, but it is at times necessary. The discouragement would be magnified if there was no food or living water to drink. I decided to discuss the situation with William, Andrew, and Charles.

Because none of us could think of any place where we could have diverted from the path, we resolved to keep going forward, at least to the place where we could camp for the night and maybe get a better perspective in the morning.

After settling at the campsite, William came over to sit by me.

“I never expected what you did with those kids today. Just giving them a part seems to have completely changed their attitude. They are not the kids I thought they were. I’m glad you saw more in them than I could see,” he said.

“William, you were right about them. They were as you thought they were. They were in danger of separating themselves, and may have already done it if it had not been for the lion attacks. That attack got their attention, but they were only staying close to us out of fear. They may have had less fear than others, but they were alarmed by that attack. You did see the problem correctly, and I appreciate you bringing it up when you did.”

“You are being gracious, but I remember what you said about having to see every problem as an opportunity. I know that as a basic leadership principle. I failed to see the opportunity in this. What they needed was to be shown respect, to be valued and given a purpose. I failed to see it,” William lamented. “I would have begun by chewing them out for being so stand-offish and proud. I would have probably driven them away.”

“Perhaps, but you won’t the next time,” I responded. “I did not go to them just to try to get them engaged with the rest of the group. We do need them. They are critical to all of us making it through this wilderness. To make it we need everyone in the right place doing what they were called to do.

“Those kids were excited by the lion attacks. Some of them panicked, which is to be expected, but most were ready to fight in spite of their fear. They loved the way Elijah went right after those lions. They’re warriors. With some training and guidance they will be a powerful force by the time we get to the mountain.

“Now here is the part you still may not see—they need you, and you need them,” I said.

“I would love to help them, but how? I stayed and talked with them for a while after you left. I felt like I was almost bonding with them. I was surprised by how I was drawn to them. I would never have expected it. So you think I am going to be able to help train them?” William asked.

“William, you too have gifts you do not know about yet,” I replied. “They need a mentor, and you are not just a good one, you are the perfect one. There is leadership on all of those kids, and you are called to be a teacher to them. They will draw the living water out of you that you do not even yet realize is in you.”

“I confess to being excited just to try,” William replied. “What do I need to do next?”

“The foundation of all that we are called to be and do in God is family first. Relationship must be first. Get to know them. Let them get to know you. Relationships are built on trust and affection. However, they do not need you as another buddy, but as a father and, at times, a drill sergeant.

“You don’t have to change to connect to them as you should, and they should not have to change to connect with you. Be yourself, and let them be who they are. We’re all going to change on this journey, but it must be through the process of the experiences, not artificially. They will mature, and you will have some of your youth restored.”

“That is very encouraging and liberating,” William responded. “I am a bit repulsed when people my age try to act like teenagers. I am already so fond of these kids that I would have done it if I had to, but I think it would have been ugly.”

“It would have been more ugly than we want to consider, but for us to fit together as we are called we all must be who God has made us into, and not try to be anything else. The trust and respect that all true relationships are built on begins with us trusting who we are and respecting ourselves enough to be real with one another. We are commanded to ‘speak truth to one another,’ which also means to be true, to be real with one another.

“One other thing about your relationship to these younger ones—I can see that just talking about this is awakening you. That’s the living waters flowing in your heart. These living waters can only come out of our innermost being, our deepest heart desire. Our deepest heart desire touches what we were created for. When you touch that purpose, you open a well of living water in your heart. We’re following the living water here because it will lead us to the mountain. Follow the living water that flows from your heart the same way.”

“You are right that I feel energized by just the thought of being able to connect with those kids. The thought of being a mentor to them is very exciting. But just this morning I did not even like them, and now it’s like they’re my favorite people. You knew this when you took me to talk to them, didn’t you?” William asked.

“I suspected it,” I replied. “I knew they needed you, and I assumed that you would also need them. I was hoping you would make a connection with them, but I cannot say that I was sure it would work out.” “Doesn’t it always work out this smoothly when God has ordained something?” William said, more as a statement than a question. “No. It does not always work out that smoothly or quickly even when it is His purpose. Sometimes, and I would even say most of the time, when things happen too easily or too fast they tend to be insignificant.”

“Well, if we applied that to my relationship to these kids, then it would not be that important,” William said, questioningly. “William, there are laws, and there are principles. There are no exceptions to laws, but principles have exceptions. This is a principle that is, I think, true most of the time, but not always. Generally, the more you have to fight for something the more important or valuable it is, and the more important and valuable you will therefore consider it to be.

“However, I know you have a calling to be a mentor to the emerging generation. For this reason, even though the initial connection seemed to have been so fast and easy, I think you need to be very watchful of this relationship being tested, and maybe more severely than you would expect. Just don’t be thrown off when the testing comes.”

“I see your point. Sometimes the testing is not immediate, but it will come. To be forewarned like this can be very helpful. I will try to prepare for the testing so that I am not shaken when it comes,” William replied.

I marveled at how teachable William was as I watched him walk off toward a few of the youth who were approaching, obviously wanting to talk with him. This connection was important, and maybe the most important thing that had happened to us yet. I also knew that getting the watchmen trained and in place was going to be more important every day.

I then turned my attention to the crisis at hand—food and water. The scouts had all come back with reports of finding nothing, and it was now too dark to send them out again. The more I sat thinking about it, the more all my fears about being a poor leader came cascading down upon me. This is the most basic need that people have, and I had led them to a place where their basic needs could not be met. I was getting distraught that I had already let them down.

As I looked around, most were falling asleep quickly because they were so exhausted. They would desperately need food and water in the morning. I was weak too, but I felt even worse about being the cause of it. For the first time since I had joined this group, I would have rather been going through the wilderness alone again. When I was alone my mistakes did not affect so many others.

I had not followed the most basic principle Elijah had told me—to never get far from the stream of living water. I wanted to sleep, especially knowing that the next day could be a very hard one, but sleep did not come. I would like to have discussed the situation with William, but he was still talking with a few of those we had assigned as watchmen. I started to think that there could not be a lonelier feeling than being a leader and feeling that you have led those in your charge badly.

I decided to get up and walk a little distance from the camp to pray. That is when I saw him, standing in the path directly in front of me.