"You Discipled Us With Your Life"

On a large ceramic coffe mug that was signed by former students and youth leaders from our time in Illinois,  mug that often holds my morning caffeine fix, is this one thought from a youth leader: "you discipled us with your life."  Earlier in the week I posted a blog called the It of Your Life.  That simple expression defines and describes the IT of life of my wife and I. 

The youth leader was Andre Tripplett.  We got news yesterday that at the age of 27 Andre went home to be with Jesus.  But as Meredith and I have reflected the past 24 plus hours we came to this conclusion.  There are a lot of people who don't get our IT, but Andre did.  Not only did Andre get IT, but Andre lived IT. 

Discipleship is not a 6 or 13 week study.  It is not a getaway weekend retreat. It is not a book you by at the bookstore. While all these things are beneficial. It is simply life on life.  It is late night conversations.  It is unexpected phone calls.  It is watching the students of your life win. It is watching them lose.  It is giving everything you have to individuals to at times see them walk away and do exactly the opposite.  It is years later seeing them giving IT away. 

Our IT does not necessarily attract large crowds.  Our IT is not a church growth plan.  Our IT is slow, grueling and the most rewarding way we could live our life.  Our IT is putting our lives into someone else's life and teaching them the most important principle of being a disciple: give away all that you have been given.

Andre gave.  And he gave some more.  I think from the outpouring of comments that document his impact.  Whether he knew it our not he discipled us with is life.