Draft

Draft

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.

“DO YOU SEE HOW those geese are drafting off one another? When the leader gets tired, it moves to the end of the formation and allows another goose to take its place.”

Hands shading our eyes, we watched as a flock of Canada geese flapped in V formation. Justin, goose hunter extraordinaire and beloved uncle, continued, “They fly faster together than they would as individuals because the lead goose does the hard work of breaking the wind while the others rest as they fly in its wind stream.”

“That’s why I run just behind other runners at cross-country,” Lizzie chimed in. “It’s easier to run behind them and then pass them at the very end.”

“Exactly! You’re drafting—allowing someone else to pull you along so you conserve energy for the end of the race.” Turning to look at his audience of nieces and nephews, Justin asked, “What other ways do you draft?”

My mind wandered in a slightly different direction with a slightly different question, Do I invite others to draft off me?

Those questions have stayed with me, in large part because they are countercultural. I’m far more likely to hear people commenting about maintaining or erecting barriers for others rather than breaking ground, making the way forward easier for those a month or a year or a decade behind. Admission exams that everyone knows unjustly weed out high-potential candidates, draconian work requirements for the newest member on the job as they “do their time”—these and more tend to stem from the “I sweated it out, toughed it out, survived the gauntlet, so they should, too” mentality rather than any notion of drafting, of offering a helping hand.

God is the God of infinite resources, and his economy is one of generosity, not scarcity. When we are operating in God’s Kingdom, someone else’s gain is not at our expense. As Jesus-followers, we are called to be windbreakers, barrier smashers, and drafters for those coming a step behind us.

Lord, who might draft behind us? Whose journey can we make easier because of what we’ve experienced already? Help us to see and respond. Amen.

-Julie

One Good Step: Mentor someone at work, in their spiritual life, or in a new life season, helping them avoid a pitfall or quagmire you’ve encountered.