Unexpected Turns

Generally when I write I base my thoughts off of a specific verse or set of verses. Not this time it is just a general observation of things I have seen God doing in my life lately. August will make ten years that I have been walking with the Lord, and six months after this journey started I began to have visions and dreams of me becoming a preacher. They continued for about a year and grew more intense. Over the years I have always thought that I was to a lead pastor or in a prominent position in front of the masses out of the gate.

However, over the last month or so I have become more involved in my local congregations’ youth program and have even applied to be the assistant youth pastor there. Since volunteering with the youth I have began to see the potential of ministering to the next generation, while growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord myself. The biggest reason that this is interesting is because I thought that I would NEVER be a youth pastor and as of lately I feel that this is a place that the Lord is calling me to.

This is not the first time the Lord has put me in a place that I never imagined. For anyone who knows me and my background, I was a ghetto boy. I grow up in a rather tough neighborhood, where we didn’t think about hunting deer or going fishing much if at all. With that being said about two years ago the Lord put me in a place where I was attending a Bible study with a group of outdoorsmen. The only common denominators we shared were we were men and loved Jesus. Despite the apparent lack of similarity we have been able to build friendships and I have grown to love hunting, because it allows me a quite time with God in his creation. I have grown in a place that I thought I never belonged, because I trusted Jesus and didn’t allow my own prejudice get in the way.

I write all of this to say that you may not be seeing the doors you want to open presenting themselves, but look and see what the Lord has provided for you. Once you stop putting your own agenda in the way and allow Him to guide your steps you will find more peace and joy than you could imagine. I hope to continue to be used of Jesus where ever he sees fit and I thank Him for every turn that I never would have taken without Him. Take time today and reflect on the places you have been arguing with God telling Him that you can’t do that, and realize He will bless you in the places you are fighting so hard not to go. Trust God that He has the best in store for you.

Live Long, Pray Hard, Die Well!