Mike asked me to write about the journey. I started thinking about my journey. At the age of 5 my father led me into a loving relationship with Jesus. At age 15 God asked me to follow him with the rest of my life. I said yes. My senior year of high school I was the starting nose tackle for the best football team in the state. 3rd game from the final I broke a bone in my foot and lost all of my scholarship opportunities. A few months later God told me to go to Bible College and study youth ministry. I finished my degree and spent the next 16 years building my dream student ministry. I stepped down to try and rebuild a broken marriage. I took a job as a cashier at a fishing store. In a months time I was promoted to manager. In a years time I was up for a promotion and I went in to accept it and was told that I was being let go from the company. I took a month off trained my dog and started my own part time business. I missed being around people so I went back to being a cashier at the fishing store. After being at the fishing store a month I received a call from another retail store asking me to come be a manager for them. I took the job, I am still with that company now and am up for promotion…
Ha! What a journey. Since the age of 15 even in the midst of change one thing has always remained consistent. God has always allowed me to learn something and be a witness to someone. I have ministered to the thousands. I have ministered to the individual. I have talked with a cashier at the fishing shop, I have been cursed by a witch doctor in Haiti. I have had the greatest career and the worst. I have had times with money and times without. The thing that remained consistent was the spirit of God ministering to people because I was in the location and circumstance that He put me in. I was in that location at that time because that was His plan for me. As I look back it is easy to see Gods hand throughout my life. In the middle of some of those times it was hard to see, hear or feel him. God has taken me to places I would have never gone on my own doing. Even though I can look back and see the impact on me and what He has taught me I might never know what impact was made because I was there. What part of the journey are you in? Are you in a learning stage, teaching stage, or ministry stage? Do you recognize that you are there for a reason and a season? What is the reason, and how long is the season? Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed I think about what the apostle Paul wrote when he was defending himself…
I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
Ok so compared to Paul my journey has been pretty swell! I am excited to see what comes next for both you and me let us hear your stories… BTW I am super excited to meet all you eagles soon!
