The Men of Iron Minute
by Chad Zueck | Director of Content Creation
Footprints in the Sand
Doing mission work is so gratifying. Service to others in God’s name ranks among the greatest honors in a man’s life. For the last couple of years, I have gone to the Dominican Republic for mission work. We partner with local pastors in remote villages to bring the hope of the gospel and meet some tangible needs. The areas we travel to are usually off the beaten path and look untouched by time and technology. The villagers harvest sugar cane by hand. These workers make their way with a machete and a bag to fulfill their quota to provide for their loved ones. The way of life is surprisingly primitive in the modern age, so they struggle in different ways than most Americans. On a given day, the struggle for Americans is for the latest and greatest gadgets; for these people, their struggle is for clean water, nutritious food, and basic healthcare. That’s reality.
Our group labored by mixing and pouring concrete for three homes while offering food to needy families. These dwellings transformed from rock and dirt floors into finished cement works of art. Each floor is unique, and the floors were coated with an orange powder-like substance that added color and design. The families had taken all their belongings and draped them on trees and shrubs behind their homes while the concrete hardened, and their dreams were realized. At one home, we had to gather our sand from another house within the village. Wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow, we traveled this path of sweat and sand. I remembered looking down on one trip and realizing we were walking in one another’s footprints. One man is walking in another man’s footprints. The village was riddled with glass, trash, and animal droppings, so the danger of veering off gave cause for concern. You could trust the path the man before you had made.
So, it is with a good mentor. A mentor walks through life and brings knowledge and wisdom for another man to walk. The protégé is gifted in this way and can avoid complacency and spiritual and moral drifting.
Whose footprints are you walking in?
Are you paving the way for someone else?
Be a mentor
Find a mentor.
Be a better man.
Looking for change of pace, check out our next EQ Elite Retreat in North Georgia, Sep 16-18.