Going Out

Jesus gave his disciples a tough mission. He said it in Matthew 28:16-20, something we call “the Great Commission.” The mission was for his disciples to go out and make disciples. There was a problem, though: they had no idea how to do that! I was thinking about that this week and talked it over with my friend Little Barty Badger, who told me this story, and it helped me to understand.

One day in Old Raven’s Forest, as the legend goes, Esquilo the Squirrel had just finished an adventure. It was a wild one: he helped a Mouse and Wildebeest reunite! Esquilo flopped on the ground, exhausted but happy.

Just then, Barty Badger trundled up. He saw the whole thing! “That was impressive,” Barty said. Esquilo beamed. Barty continued, “I think you’re ready.”

Now Esquilo was confused. “Ready for what?” he asked.

“Ready to go out and help other animals learn to be adventurers!” Barty said. “You did a fantastic job with Maynard. Now go and help others.”

Esquilo’s jaw dropped open. “Me?! Teach other animals to be adventurers?! But I only just started adventuring myself! I haven’t read all the right books or attended graduate seminars in classroom management or learned a second language! I don’t even know any pedagogical modalities!!!”

Esquilo went on like that for a little while, until Barty started to laugh. It was the kind of laugh that made Esquilo want to laugh, too. They laughed together for a moment, and then it got quiet and Esquilo said, “Barty, I don’t think I can do it.”

Barty smiled, but didn’t say anything. He cocked his head to listen for a moment, and then: “Hhhhhheeeeeelllllllpppp!” sounded from somewhere off in the forest. Without a second thought, Esquilo sprang off to find the animal who needed help.

He soon found Old Turtle meandering in the woods. And, meandering right beside him was a much smaller Young Turtle. Somehow, both of the turtles had one leg tied to a vine and were hopping along as the vine tugged them around the tree. Esquilo had no idea how the turtles managed to get into this predicament, but he didn’t think twice. He squirreled up the tree quick as a flash, untied the vine, and then freed both turtles. Young Turtle looked up at the Squirrel with wide eyes and said, “Wow! I want to be a squirrel when I grow up.” The two turtles trundled off into the forest.

There was Barty, smiling once again. “What was that about you not knowing what you were doing?”

“But Barty,” Esquilo said, “that was just helping. Adventurers always help. That’s not making a new adventurer.”

Barty leaned down and said gently, “That’s precisely how you make a new adventurer.”

Esquilo got very excited then. Smiling and laughing, he ran off into the forest on a new adventure.

Well, that’s what the legend says, but I know one thing that’s true: Sometimes, all we need is what we already have.