Looking Back and Looking Ahead
A mentor of mine, Tim Bohlke, taught me something profound a few years back.
“Great leaders look back to remember the faithfulness of God and look ahead to what He is calling them to in the next season.”
I cannot overstate how important this has been in my life. This practice of quieting down to remember what God has done helps me look ahead to the future in hopes of what He might do tomorrow. It grounds me and helps me see things from His perspective. I can’t imagine a year where I need this more.
2020 has been a difficult year for most of us. This global pandemic has shaken us to our core. It has exposed the deep places in us and caused many of us to ask some uncomfortable questions. This is true of me too, especially as I lead Seek Well.
This could have been a year where our team laid down to wait for a better day. After all, we are a volunteer led movement. I think everyone would have understood. Instead, we asked Jesus what He wanted and we pushed ahead at His leading. Despite some initial setbacks, we were able to invite more people into this adventure than we could have imagined.
After delaying Refresh and Encourage this spring we decided to launch the Daily Rhythm. Hundreds have joined us this year as we listen together as a community. Once the lock downs were over, we were finally able to launch Refresh and Encourage Group 3 & 4. This was the culmination of a dream - we were finally able to hold these experiences at our newly finished farmhouse we call Haven.
In September, we held a private ONE DAY for our friends who are dedicated to full time ministry. We had a sense that they were tired and worn out as they were adjusting to ministry during a pandemic. Our time together was so sweet as Jesus showed up in an amazing way.
Then in November we released our first book, Listen. Our team has worked for over 18 months on this project. It is surreal to see it in the hands of old and new friends. We couldn’t be more excited to see what God does in this community as you dive into this seven week listening experience.
This truly has been an amazing year and our God continues to be faithful.
As I looked back on 2020, one story kept coming to mind. In October, we launched Refresh Group 4. During our first session together we gave the guys some instruction and asked them to spend 90 minutes in the quiet listening to Jesus. Around the campfire that night my new friend Matt told us he didn’t hear from Jesus but enjoyed the time alone in contemplation. Then he proceeded to tell the group all the thoughts that kept going through his mind as well as the profound things that were coming to the surface of his heart. He said something like, “even though I didn’t hear from Jesus I felt like I know what He wants me to work on.”
After Matt finished I challenged his thinking with a simple statement. “Matt, God rarely speaks audibly. Do you know that the primary way Jesus whispers to us is in our thoughts?”
The next morning at breakfast Matt found me. He had this look in his eyes - the type of look that says ‘I just figured something out’.
“Tim, if what you said is true, that God speaks to us in our thoughts, then that means He has been speaking to me my whole life. I just haven’t been listening. Honestly, this changes everything!”
Here’s the bonus to the story - the guy who invited Matt to apply for Refresh, Geoff, was right there when it happened. Geoff and I had a moment that we will never forget as we saw the veil being lifted right before our eyes.
Matt’s story is why we created Seek Well. It is what drives us and keeps us pushing ahead despite the challenges of our current environment. It is the blessing of that moment and the faithfulness of our King keeps me looking ahead to the future.
2021 is going to be a monumental year for this community. We are going to launch Groups 5 and 6 for Refresh and Encourage. We are hoping to hold a few ONE DAY experiences as well. And we are committed to offering you more ways to listen to Jesus from home, like the Daily Rhythm, Listen (a Guided Seek Well Experience) and a few new surprises coming soon.
As I look ahead to the future I am more resolute in our calling than ever before. I am fully convinced that our very best life, life to the full, is available to us today if we will move to the rhythms of Jesus. Our team will do all that we can to convince you of this truth by inviting you to experience it for yourself.
Join us in 2021 as we seek Jesus well, together.
