by: Bob Reccord
If you play athletics, you’ve heard the term. Sweet spot. In Tennis, the sweet spot is the area of the string bed that produces the best combination of feel and power. In life, your sweet spot comes when your gifts, passions, calling, and opportunities come together and you feel as though, w/ God’s help, you are operating in “your zone.” You sense that you’re doing what you were born to do.
This weekend, I had that kind of experience. It began in the small town of Jessup, Ga where I spoke to a fund-raising dinner for the local CareNet Crisis Pregnancy Center. I realized anew as I spoke that helping women make the choice for Life is so incredibly important. We were thrilled to see that this center will probably make their goal—which will enable them to continue to minister to women in crisis and literally see lives saved…both babies and mothers. That’s worth everything.
From there, I traveled to Asheville, NC, and both spiritually and literally had a “mountain-top experience.’ Speaking to and engaging with almost 500 men from the eastern part of North Carolina and surrounding states about core issues that every man deals with absolutely energized my soul. I readily admitted that I was not one who had all the answers, but had found THE ANSWER as a fellow struggler, in Jesus Christ.
Sunday morning was capped by a Lord’s Supper remembrance. Following this celebration, we invited every father and son present together to come forward so that Ken Smith, a wonderful friend and fellow speaker, and I could pray for them specifically. I wish you could have seen it. Men poured forward. Some were three generations together!! I’ll never forget one man helping his dad out of a wheel chair and helping his dad make his way down the steps to the front…leaning his weight on his son. What a picture. Tears flowed down my face…and Ken’s…and it was one of the most powerful times of commitment I have been involved with in a long time.
And, God in his kindness had some of His own be an encouragement for me–, here are some excerpts from the emails in my inbox:
Subject: Thank you for this weekend!
Bob,
Yes, God was the highlight of this weekend. Yet, I have come to know and Love Him again with all my heart through your works. I am SO excited about my renewed desire to grow in love and worship of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for providing me with the message that rearranged my priorities……
It is rare to meet one who really connects to your heart immediately. You do. I will always remember this weekend and the words and emotion we shared. Perhaps we met so that I can connect and feel a pull that I can serve God fully again. I was overcome with powerful emotion last night when I recalled the Payne Stewart illustration last night….. I sat back and reflected a minute while they were playing and felt I am finally heading back in the right direction.
Love, your new brother in Christ!
-Mark
From: Andy
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 11:13 AM
Bob,
This email comes with many thanks and prayers that God will continue to use you in a powerful way as He did this past weekend…… Bob, you are truly a gifted speaker and a powerful communicator, and God has used you to touch and move others in ways that you’ll never know about.
Thank you Bob, for allowing God to use you in a mighty way to change the lives of many, including my own. (1 Cor 1:9.) I pray that your ministry will be blessed and that we will share some time together in the future.
-Andy