Grade 10 Branden ^^^^ ^^^^ College Age Benny
I have known Benny a long time. He was a Maranatha teen leader and I was a Maranatha teen, well, tween. He was there a few summers in a row so we really got to know each other. I loved what he had to say about manhood, the Bible and Our Father, his analogies and how much he believed and encouraged out of me (and others) the ideals of Marianne Williamson’s poem Our Deepest Fear. (He didn’t use this poem explicitly until much later, but it sums things up nicely.)
Just like Joe and later on John would push, teach and lead me deeper into Our Father, Benny did just the same. For whatever reason Benny really thought I was worth pouring into so when I was a sophomore in high school he invited me, with many of his college friends, on a road trip to Kansas City for the Onething Conference the IHOP puts on. I am still amazed as to why my parents let me go so really Insha'Allah I went.
As we grow up in the flesh we also grow up in the spirit. I don’t know if Benny knew how profound this conference would be to me or not, but needless to say I defiantly grew up a little bit spiritually.
More so, this conference widened what Christianity was, is and can be for me. Until then, it was West Michigan church, youth groups and Maranatha. But now, there was a huge God and so many different ways we could express ourselves to Him and Him to us. Now there were twenty thousand people not just a few hundred (at a time) that believed it. What’s more, is they seemed to love this fiery, dangerous God – not just a safe goateed Jesus. He is POWERFUL.
I still remember vividly the talks down there through the night, the brain explosions and even sitting together in the shaft of light under the bleachers being still while others were getting lit up 🙂
It’s about time we put on our seatbelts…