Chasing Daylight

Nearly 3 months ago, I began meeting weekly with an incredible group of young men. None of the guys really knew each other and they are all extremely different individuals. One guy was actually finishing up a prison sentence. I literally took him back to his step-down facility after our gatherings. These guys were hand-picked based on the amount of un-tapped potential I saw in each one of them.

We walked through a study of a very unique book entitled Chasing Daylight by Erwin Raphael McManus, a gifted pastor from Los Angeles. The purpose of this book is to focus Christ followers on the difference between living a life of purpose and adventure, and living one of apathy and missed opportunity.

We concluded our experience last night. I can only say that God exceeded my wildest expectations as to what might happen when a group of strangers join together to ask God for guidance. Here’s an excerpt that was part of our closing session.

There’s so much talk about potential in our culture, as if it’s the end-all of success. Has anyone ever said about you, “He/she has so much potential?” If you’re under twenty five—consider it a compliment. Potential---your untapped or unlocked capacity. Potential---the hint of greatness not yet developed. “He has so much potential”---a statement of praise and maybe even adoration. And then you’re thirty, and you still have all this potential. Pressing forty, and you’re still full of potential. If you’re forty-five and someone looks at you and says, “You have so much potential,” pause…excuse yourself...step into a closet...and have a good cry.

What was once a statement of promise is now an assessment of lost opportunity. There is a point where you’re supposed to be full of potential; you’re supposed to be full of talent, capacity, product. Potential is a glimpse of what could be, yet there must be a shift from where we have potential to where we are potent.