His name was Austin. His father, Bob, had signed him up for the mission trip so that he, himself, could go. You see, the rest of the youth group was all girls. They didn’t need a male counselor, yet Bob somehow felt called to do this mission trip. He’d served in Vietnam, done some terrible things, he’d told us, and at some point during the last 40 years he’d “given his life over to Jesus.” There was purpose in his being among us, he was sure of it. He just didn’t know what. So, he signed his son up – the only boy among a group of six girls. I’m so glad he did.

Austin seemed a little different than some of the other boys, in that he was a little more impulsive, a bit unsure of himself, and his brain seemed to work overtime. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. Yet, he had no difficulty participating in all the events and activities and in being part of the larger group. One of those activities was a half mile hike up a mountainside in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park after our first full day of work/service in the community.

It was nearing dusk and the group that I had driven to the site were the last to arrive because I had missed a turn on the way. I was upset about being late and as the group quickly hiked up the trail to meet the others I began to lag further and further behind. I was just simply not able to keep up. This made me even more upset because the trail had several bends and offshoots and I was having to guess which way to go.

Then, suddenly I saw Austin speeding down the trail right toward me. He stopped and began to walk with me. He explained, “My Dad always said that if someone is lagging behind, they should never be left to walk alone.” And from that point on he walked beside me, resting when I rested, engaging in conversation, encouraging me every step of the way. By the time we got to the beautiful waterfall where the rest of the group was gathered, I was thankful – thankful for Austin. For you see, Austin was Christ to me. Austin was Christ for me. Austin was Christ with me.

As I reflect back, Austin is a witness to me of who I am to be and who the Church is to be to, for, and with others. Paul reminds us:

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in you that was* in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 2:1-5)