Sitting here in my new office, at a new church, in a brand new position created for me in a way and I am completely beside myself with the reality that following Jesus has led me here right where I have wanted to be for so long. At First UMC, Asheboro I am the Community Life Minister, basically an Assistant Pastor, and will be the Worship Leader for our new Contemporary Worship service we will call "First".
I can't help but think about the first time I asked God to help me grow into the minister God wanted me to be and feel a tug in my heart towards becoming a worship leader. WUMC made it possible for me to follow that dream by allowing us to begin "The Well" and for 2 years I struggled to be THIS and THAT and to devote time to my PASSION and my JOB and in the end I feel like I did an okay job. However, here I get to simply be what God has called me to be...to do what God has called me to do. It is amazing and, I must confess, completely overwhelming to realize that people saw my gifts and decided to trust God enough to allow me to use them to further the work of the Kingdom.
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While we were packing up the house in Wvl, I was overcome by a serious moment of sadness, that was followed by complete disbelief that any of it was happening. As the tears began to roll down my cheeks and this grown man was reduced to a blubbering mess, in the background I heard the lyrics to my new favorite Third Day song, "I Know You Can". I listened to it repeatedly until I could sing the words without crying and then my heart started believing them. "If I'm to follow you it's only by your hand. Help me to make it through, Jesus I know you can..."
The craziest thing about this life we have chosen to live is that God's timing is not always convenient, it's not always how we want it to look, but when we allow God to move everything will be okay.
"I Know You Can"
Give me the words to say
Bring me the strength to stand
Take all the doubt away
Jesus, I know You can
For if I’m to follow You
It’s only by Your hand
Help me to make it through
Jesus, I know You can
So close that I can taste it
I stand at the great unknown
Second chance and I don’t want to waste it
I gotta know, I gotta know
You speak and I will listen
You ask and I will go
Lord, will You be there with me
I gotta know, I gotta know
So the lesson we take from all this is that Jesus has us in the palm of his hand and will never leave or forsake us...and even in the great times of our lives, it is okay to grieve the loss of something great as you move to the next great thing. Lastly, it is right and good and joyful to make lifelong and lasting friends whom you share the pains and beauty of life with and for your heart to break as you move away and then spend days really missing them, because it means that God will cross your paths again and quite often. It means that a phone call or text message from them will mean even more, and the memories you make during the times you get to share will be stronger and truer because there is love wrapped in each moment with them.
Here we are standing at the "great unknown" with new and old friends and our family surrounding us and a God that will not let go of us...so I pray for strength, for wisdom, for your guidance, and your love. I ask you to be with my friends, love them in my absence and help me to feel their love with me. Give me your words, forgive me when I doubt, speak and I will listen, lead and I will follow...help me to make it through, Jesus I Know You Can.
