Sophia, NC. A Place for the Heart

After a few wrong turns, a couple correcting u-turns, and plenty of laughter we made our way up the long moonlit driveway of the Helser family. It’s hard to get a good lay of the land in the dark, but from what little I can see it looks like an amazing place. Our home for the night rests on 52 acres of land in the country side of Sophia, NC. We had planned to meet with a man named Jonathan Helser, who spent some time at our base in Kona this last year speaking and leading worship, but had the privilege of getting some time with his father, Ken, first. Let me back up a bit and explain. Amy Sollars, one of the leaders of the Fire & Fragrance School at our base in Kona gave us a bundle of envelopes each of which had a date to be opened and a mystery “task” for us to do. The first two were to find the Paul Revere statue in Boston, meet with a man named Jamey Galloway, and third, get time with Jonathan’s father, Ken Helser. I don’t know much about Jonathan, which means I knew even less about his father, if that is even possible. Regardless, what I came away with tonight was even greater than I could have imagined.


We rolled in about 20 minutes late, but were greeted warmly and led into the Helser’s elegant dining room where we sipped on tea, ate fresh coconut cream pie (a first for me), and listened closely to Ken share his past, present and future heart with us. Many things he said were so simple, but profound at the same time. More than once did the purity and depth of his heart radiate so strongly that I was moved near to tears. I have never met a man like him.



It never ceases to amaze me how God lines things up for us. On our way here today we listened to a Kris Vallotton podcast, my first, about writing your destiny and living life in a way that sets things up for those to come after us. Life should not be only about what I get to be a part of and do, but how me doing those things sets the stage for the next generation, allowing them to go even further. That, my friends, is a powerful thought. It’s hard enough for me to think about the next five years of my life, nonetheless the next 70.



These are a few of the powerful word "nuggets" Ken shared with us:

"I want to plant seeds that create orchards. So that, like in leapfrog, I can bend down allowing you to go over and further than me."

"God has never been disappointed in you. He is not surprised by our failures. He has covered them already. All of them."

"Most people have a relationsip with the Bible, not the Author. We like to be proud of our knowledge, not knowing the Author behind it."

"Tonight you have an invitation into the best seminary there is, but it will cost you everything. The seminary of life. Your professor, the Holy Spirit. Your library, 66 books. Your labratory, life. The world is your classroom... the greatest prayer you can pray is 'You get to me, God. Don't let me hide from you."

"If you wait to get what you 'need' to do ministry, you'll never do ministry."

One of the most impacting things about Ken Helser was how his life was a living example of what he spoke about. He doesn't just impress into you the importance of community, the value of family and why we need to prepare the way for the next wave of believers. He models it.

Two of Ken's children live in homes not down the road from him, but down the driveway from him, and work alongside him in a ministry called "A Place for the Heart." If you are unfamiliar with it, like I was, I encourage you to check it out their website - http://www.aplacefortheheart.org/. The more I heard the more I felt like this was a place I could stay forever. I think now would be a great time to figure out how to be in two places at one time...