The One Nugget

When I encounter a good illustration, I'll do anything legal to copy, file and eventually use it.  To get one useable nugget I must mine a lot of ore.

Several times a week I receive an RSS feed from a certain newspaper.  Since 99% of the content is irrelevant, I don't mind deleting it.  Waste of time?  No.  So what's the deal?  I endure this self-imposed deletion process to get the one nugget (a creative, insightful column by a Bible school president).  It's an all-or-nothing proposal.  In order to get that master illustration, I must weed through the boring, irrelevant and undesirable.

Discipleship... 

It seems that, for each shining moment of growth in a disciple, there are five frustrating moments.  (Someone forgot to turn off the "dumb" switch.)  Why put yourself through that?  Why continue mentoring that person?  Why do you let that person take your time?  You realize people are an all-or-nothing proposal.  To extract the next nugget, you must help them mine through the undesirable.  Admit it -- you're hopelessly addicted to grace!  When you see the next nugget, you're ready to throw a party.  You do what you do because of the next nugget.  Don't get overwhelmed by the ore.