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Aim for the Chopping Block
by T. Ray Rachels, District Superintendent
Southern California
Annie Dillard often shares her observations of
life. In one of her books, she talks about swinging an axe and chopping
wood. "Chopping wood," she says, "is best done when
you aim for the chopping block. If you aim for the wood, you will
hit nothing. Aim past the wood, aim through the wood; aim for the
chopping block."
That idea is true for building boys as well. Look
past the present moment or troubles that keep the boy from learning
quickly and doing well. Take the long view that sees the good man
locked inside the boy, needing only a guiding hand to point him
toward a Christ-honoring future. That job requires focus and a spiritual
understanding of the difficult tasks of leadership preparation and
follow through.
When I first came to California years ago to pastor,
I met with the church's Royal Rangers commanders. I listened to
the ideas of the men in uniform laying plans for a great Royal Ranger
future in our church.
One of the commanders complained about the $24
annual district charter fee. We discussed whether or not the church
should or should not send the money. Then a good and wise man spoke
up: "Listen, it costs to do business. We are part of a larger
team that builds boys for the future. Our Royal Ranger outpost is
not an island, separate from the rest. We're part of something good.
Let's act like it!"
Integrity is at the heart of the Ranger program.
It promotes the development of the boy, who is part of the church's
outpost, which is part of the section, which is part of the district,
which is part of the national team. Teamwork is the core of a great
Ranger program.
The Royal Rangers ministry has impacted Southern
California powerfully this past year. During the altar call at our
2000 Camporee, a Pioneer asked his dad if they could go forward
together to ask Christ into their lives. The dad said no, but told
his son to go ahead. Moments later, the boy felt a hand on his shoulder,
and looked around as a man knelt beside him and began to sob. It
was his dad.
Joshua was 11 years old. His mom, a single parent,
was killed in a head-on automobile accident. Joshua was sent to
the mountains to live with his non-Christian grandmother. She had
heard about Royal Rangers at the neighborhood church. The idea of
Christian men spending time with boys, she reasoned, seemed to be
just what Joshua needed.
One month later at Pow Wow, Joshua went forward
for salvation. At Merit Award Camp during the summer, Joshua was
baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Fourteen-year-old Oscar was an inner city gangbanger.
A Royal Ranger commander stopped by a local convenience store after
his Wednesday night outpost meeting, where Oscar and four of his
gang friends happened to be hanging out. The Commander invited them
to attend a Pow Wow the next weekend. Surprisingly, Oscar and his
gang buddies showed up. Once at camp, their belligerent ways and
tough attitudes were hard to handle. During the evening council
fire, they disrupted the meeting. However, the speaker stayed focused
and finished. The altar call began, and God was at work!
Oscar, having heard the message in spite of his
attitude, was convicted by the Holy Spirit. He came down the hill
to receive Christ into his heart. All of his hurt, confusion, belligerence,
and sin was washed away by the touch and forgiveness of Christ,
the Savior. On Saturday night, Oscar was gloriously baptized in
the Holy Spirit.
A young Trailblazer approached the District Commander
after a powerful move of God during the Saturday council fire. His
dad was a pastor, and there had been church problems lately. He
had been questioning God about how things like that could happen
among God's people. Discouraged and upset, he felt he didn't want
to go back to church. That night he went forward during the altar
time to seek God. He felt God's arms around him and was re-filled
with the Holy Spirit.
Stories of God's grace are repeated again and
again through the ministry of Royal Rangers. And the lives of young
boys are rescued.
Three men were working on a large construction
site. A man walking by asked one of the workers, "What are
you doing?"
"I'm digging this ditch," he said.
He asked the second worker, "What are you
doing?"
"I'm putting up this wall here."
He asked the third worker, "What are you
doing?"
"I'm building a skyscraper."
Getting the right perspective on our work is one
of the most significant things we do. The great value of building
boys through Royal Rangers is that we believe the boy will grow
up to be all God intends him to be. We're not digging ditches-we're
building human skyscrapers for God's glory.
It's not the classes, the campouts, or the badges.
It's the long view of a boy's life. It's what he becomes as a result
of his experience in our Royal Ranger family.
Will the teaching, relationships, and life skills
he learns in Rangers bond deeply within his soul and make a difference
in the man he becomes?
You are a Royal Rangers leader! If you are ever
asked the question, "What are you doing?", I hope you
will be able to say, "I'm part of a great team of people who
are committed to working together to build great men out of young
boys."
Effective Royal Ranger commanders always aim for
the chopping block!
Rev. T. Ray Rachels is the Superintendent of the
Assemblies of God Southern California District. Prior to that he
served in many capacities for the Assemblies of God and as a pastor.
He and his wife, Judy, live in Irvine, California. They have three
children and five grandchildren.
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