The Wesley Isn’t Finished, and Neither Am I: Clayton Tibbit
The Wesley isn’t finished, and neither am I, and I’m not torn up about it. Not too long ago, the back porch at The Wesley was in rough shape, but now it’s not as bad. The fence was non-existent, but now it’s a little less non-existent. The garden beds were also not there, but now they are. We will not talk about the barn. All this to say that The Wesley is not finished, and honestly, I am glad. Although I’m sure Phil is tired of hearing me say it, I think “it’s about the journey”. What is actually worthwhile is less about the result at the end, and more about how you got there. If the building and the people that made up The Wesley were perfect, and we never had to put any effort into fixing it up, working on relationships, and working on ourselves, we would miss out on all the memories we’ve made along the way. It is important that we recognize our imperfections, but that we also pursue change with help from God. We gradually become like a re-worked fence or porch. It really is intriguing to me how something as simple as the change in some old, busted up building can so easily reflect the change in my life and the lives of those around me.
Our fence. The far side is mostly finished and the posts to the left will be fenced during the summer mission this year.
For example, I was like the flower beds for a while, not at The Wesley at all. At some point, I became the fence in its current state. I was a little less not there; I halfway participated in the various events around The Wesley and simultaneously dodged interactions with Ryan Ford, the director. Eventually, I somehow—and I will admit reluctantly—became like the re-worked back porch. I finally had a conversation with the “big Ryan”, and can confirm that he is not as scary as he may seem (maybe). This is not to say that I am now perfect, but, like the porch, I am working towards “the porch” God wants me to be. This is in no small part a result of small groups, and the other people like the interns and students who, at various stages of their own journey here at The Wesley, so graciously call you out on your flaws and encourage you to grow.
The garden beds! They’re here.
If you thought that I was done with the work based-metaphors, well, not quite yet. As of recently, I have begun co-leading a small group and although I am still adjusting to this new responsibility, I can clearly see the change in those who have been coming to the small group. Like the porch, they have changed over the course of this last year (for the better). Some of them played the same game that I did when I first poked my head in through the scary double doors of The Wesley, but now their relationships with those around them and their relationship with God have grown into something remarkable. But, like The Wesley, and arguably more important than any level of “goodness” any of us have achieved this year, we are not finished.
Our back porch; still in progress. Old and new.
The journey has never been, and never will be, this perfectly laid out, well-lit walking trail that gently winds through life. In small group planning Phil and I came to the conclusion that the christian walk is not a “Twelve-step program” to be like Jesus. Instead, it is more like sailing a ship. We know that the end goal is to be like Christ, in this particular example what amounts to the other side of the ocean, and the only other thing we know for sure is the starting point. Aside from where you find yourself right now, you just have to start the journey. Only God knows the storms and the winds that will come and try to push you off course and turn you around. But you cast off and tend to your sails. You get good counsel from those further along in their journey and you make the changes you need to make. This often starts with recognizing a miss-ordering of values.
The barn. We’re not gonna talk about it.
The Wesley has challenged me in ways that are not comfortable, but have revealed things about myself that I need to change. Like not filling every part of my day with something so that I “do not have time for God”. I am so grateful for the friends and challenges I have encountered here at The Wesley. I am also thankful for how graciously God has dealt with my failure. Instead of refining me by fire, he has given me friends who challenge me in a way that is quite a bit gentler than just tearing down my idols in one fell swoop. The changes that have occurred just in the few years I have been a part of the community of Christ at The Wesley, not only in myself, in the building, and the people are testament to the work that God has been doing, and will continue to do here at The Wesley for as long as we seek and are willing to follow him.
Clay, a senior engineering student at Tech is deeply loved by the people here at the Wesley. He makes us laugh so hard. He knows that the secret to savoring the important moments in life is to recognize that they only come rarely. He loves to fish, powerlift, drink semi-sweet tea, and play and listen to music.