Jerry’s story
When you look at the job pages in a magazine, what do you look at first? Perhaps you are drawn to the job title: ‘Does it fit with who I am, does it interest me?’ Maybe the location is your first point of interest: ‘Will it carry me too far from family or friends? What or who is near that place?’ Or is it the salary that most draws your attention: ‘Will this income be enough to live and pay the bills?’
It’s interesting what grabs our attention when we think about changing jobs and the criteria for how we make decisions. Before meeting Jerry Bendall at Newmarket and District YFC I wondered how he makes decisions. Does he trust God first and say, ‘God where would you like me to be? I am ready to hear you.’ Or is it more like, ‘God this job looks great for me - please bless the process as I walk through it.’ It quickly became clear that for Jerry, following the call of God has always been central to his life in working with young people, even though some people around him have struggled to understand his decision making.
He remembers his son saying, ‘Dad why did you give up a well-paid job with a company car and a comfortable salary to raise a family?’ It is doubly hard for Jerry to respond because his brother stuck with the same company and is now driving a Jaguar. Jerry’s reply was, as it has always been: ‘Son, life is not about financial gain for me. It is about hearing and following the voice of God wherever he might take me. I know he will provide for us in a way that the world never will.’ With deep assurance he said: ‘You are either here to do your own thing, and go your own way, or you are here for someone else. I am living for Jesus.’ At this time, his son is struggling to make sense of it.
As we talk, I wonder how many youth workers model a life like this; a life that is not ‘God bless my decisions’ but being constantly faithful to a Jesus who said ‘Follow me.’ Jerry has been serving Youth for Christ in Newmarket for more than 20 years – but he never planned to. When he hit 40 he thought it must be time to pack youth work in and move on to something different. But God clearly spoke to Jerry through the same verses that had called him into youth ministry many years previously. He knew that Jesus was saying that it had nothing to do with his age; it was about building the kingdom in Newmarket.
When Jerry appoints new workers he looks for a sense of calling, not the perfect candidate with the ‘right’ experience for the job. He always asks, ‘Lord would you speak to us about this person’s heart?’ He refers to Samuel going to Jesse’s house to anoint one of his sons. Samuel thinks that because of the way Eliab appears, that he must be the anointed one. However, the Lord says, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at…the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7). Jerry wants to hear what the Lord is saying – is this really the person God has for this role at this time?
It seems to be a radical shift from the way the world operates - to be seeking God and asking him what he thinks about things rather than just going for what’s best for ourselves, being willing to lay down our own plans, for the sake of his. When you own houses and have children this stuff gets harder - and it can be tough to give everything to Jesus.
The words that stick with me most came halfway through our discussion, when Jerry said, ‘I’d rather be with God, where I should be, than without him, wandering aimlessly.’ Perhaps this is a principal that needs unearthing again. If we are going to make true disciples, we need to be true followers ourselves.
To discuss with your team :
CS Lewis said: ‘There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, “All right, then, have it your way.”’
• Do we have the strength to say to God: wherever you lead I will follow?
• Why do we struggle to give God everything? Martin Luther King said: ‘Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.’
