But, I'm a Lefty!

Hi, and welcome back to Journey with Jesus. This is Johnny Singh, your host and author, and I appreciate you spending a little bit of time with us today on today's reflection. If you are a listener of the recordings, whether you're listening on the podcast app, Substack, or through your email, I appreciate that. Comment somewhere or reply to the email if you're left-handed or right-handed, as this is not mentioned in the article, and I'd like to see who all of my listeners are. Today's reflection, but I'm a lefty, a reflection on perspectives and purposefulness. I have always been excited about the idea of being a husband, sometimes more than just the idea of having a wife. That may sound unusual, but growing up, watching my mom and dad show affection and loyalty to one another stirred something inside of me. I wanted to be the kind of husband my dad was in the best ways that he was. I wanted to give myself to that role fully, long before I ever even knew who my wife would be. What I did not really consider was that marriage comes with more than vows and shared last names. It comes with in-laws. It comes with new siblings. It comes with relationships that stretch and shape you into who you never anticipated to be. Priya has a younger sister and an older brother. Her brother has, in many ways, become an older brother to me as well. His wisdom and steady encouragement have meant more to me than he probably realizes. That part felt somewhat familiar since I am the youngest of four. I know what it is like to look up to older brothers. What has been new for me is learning how to be an older brother to her younger sister. And I've really had the chance to step into that role before. It has been eye-opening, humbling, and at times just plain fun. Recently, Priya and I started teaching her how to play pickleball. And I know this is not another article about pickleball. But something happened during our first session that stayed with me. Priya is left-handed, I'm right-handed, and her sister is right-handed too. That small detail did not seem like a big deal until it was time to teach her how to serve. Priya stood opposite her sister, trying to demonstrate, but everything felt backward. What looked natural to her did not translate easily across the net. I stepped in and suggested, Priya demonstrate while I played the role of ball boy, picking up and returning the balls as they participated. Priya kept reminding me, sometimes with frustration, that she was left-handed. I would say that's no problem, but if I'm honest, it actually was a bit of a problem. Not because she could not teach, but because the angles and perspectives made things harder than they needed to be. Eventually, I helped guide the lesson in a way that felt clear for everyone. At the end of the day, her younger sister said she learned better from Priya. That did not bother me. It actually made me think a bit. Priya's frustration may have been not about ability at all. It may have been about perspective. It may have been about not seeing immediate results or not getting the feedback she hoped for. Meanwhile, her sister was learning all along. That experience made me think about the church. In the body of Christ, we have left-handed people, right-handed people, and some who seem spiritually ambidextrous. We have different personalities, different gifts, different approaches. Sometimes we feel perfectly suited for a task. Other times, we feel awkward and out of place. Paul addresses this beautifully in 1 Corinthians 12, verses 18-20. It says, But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they all were one member where would the body be? But now there are many members, but the body is one. That verse does two things at once. It humbles us and it comforts us. It reminds us that we are not self-assigned. God places, God arranges, God designs. The body needs variety. The church does not need everyone to teach the same way, serve the same way, or even think the same way. It needs faithfulness. Jesus also speaks to this in the parable of the Talents. In Matthew 25:21, the Master says this: "Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge over many things. Enter into the joy of your Master." Notice what is celebrated: not comparison, not superiority, not who had the most, but faithfulness. The one with two Talents received the same affirmation as the one with five. The goal was not about outperforming, but about performance. The goal was to use what was entrusted. In ministry, it is easy to slip into quiet competition. Who teaches better, who preaches stronger, who connects more naturally. But heaven measures something different. Heaven measures faithfulness. And then there is a gentle reminder from 1 Corinthians 3:6-7. It says, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth." So then, these are the two things: neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything but God who causes the growth. Paul is not downplaying effort. He is putting it into perspective. We plant, we water, we serve. But we do not produce life, God does. That changes everything. When Priya was trying to teach her sister, the desired outcome was growth, not recognition. It did not matter who looked more natural in the moment. What mattered was that her sister learned how to serve. The focus had shifted from who was better suited to what would best help her improve. The same is true in the church. If we spend more time arguing over who teaches better, who should serve, who should be seen, we miss the point. The outcome we are after is spiritual growth, maturity, faithfulness, Christ-likeness. There will be moments when one person's perspective connects better than another's. That does not diminish anyone. It simply reflects the beauty of a body that works together. Some will plant, some will water, some will encourage quietly in the background, some will step in when the angles feel off and perspective needs adjusting. All of it matters. The question is not whether someone else is more effective. The question is whether we are faithful with what God has placed in our hands. So maybe next time frustration creeps in, because a lesson did not land the way we hoped, or someone else seemed to connect more naturally, we should pause. We remember that growth is the goal. We remember that God gives the increase. And we keep serving, left-handed, right-handed, however He has shaped us, faithfully together. Before I close, let me say this. If these reflections resonate with you, if they encourage you to serve a little bit more faithfully where you are, then I am grateful. Truly, writing these pieces, recording them, praying through them, and sharing them is not just content for me. It is ministry. It is the part that I play in my small corner of the field that God has given me to water and plant. Journey with Jesus has always been about helping us think deeply, live faithfully, and serve humbly. And if that mission resonated with you, strengthened your walk in any way, and you feel moved to support the effort, you can do so through faith. Through my Buy Me A Coffee link. As mentioned before, you are not actually buying me a coffee, but instead, this is a platform that is used through which you can support this effort. Thank you for reading, thank you for listening, and thank you for walking this road with me. And until next time, bye-bye.