All tagged growth
For the first time in a decade, I don’t work for the local church. When that change happened in November, it was wild. That first Sunday morning especially, I felt like I was breaking the rules. As if there was some sort of law enforcement officer who was standing behind the curtain waiting to arrest me for my deviance.
Confinement in any scenario is difficult, but solitary confinement would have to be the worst. In this season of life, we’ve seen this truth play out over and over again. The people that are most vulnerable are the ones that are by themselves without human interaction. It can be a scary place when you are all by yourself.
So, what has really been an interesting development for me is the feeling of familiarity in this season of sheltering in place. I’ve been here before, I’ve done this. As I began to place the idea of where I’ve done this before it hit me: When I was deployed to Kuwait.
From 2004-2005 I lived under Government control, and in a very confined space. While the base I was stationed at was much bigger than my house the comparisons are undeniable. And as I began to think about that time period I remembered one of our missions during that deployment was to help service members deal with the realities of deployment.
One of the funny things about personal growth is that it can be hard to get a clear picture of yourself. From the baggage of your childhood to the stress of your day; getting a clear picture requires tools.
The bottom line - it was some combination of dumb luck and the Holy Spirit.
See, I wasn't the first person they asked. CNN had reached out to another pastor who I am friends with, and when he was unavailable he referred them to three other pastors in Centerville (of which I was one).
I responded saying I was willing to help. The original plan was that all three of us on the email would be doing the interview, but apparently, I was the only one who responded.
It is certain that your life will encounter many unplanned twists and turns. From job loss to relationship change, to whatever else might happen life is full of moments that can absolutely wreck you.
The question becomes: What will you do when you find yourself face to face with the part of life you didn’t plan for? How will you prevail?
There is nothing more awkward than not knowing exactly who you are. Am I a kid, am I an adult? What is happening to my body, and why is it happening?
Three years ago, I walked into the church like a starving man on Thanksgiving Day. I wanted to grow, I wanted to grow younger, I wanted soooo many things for the Kingdom of God. Some things I prayed for but didn’t understand, some other things I thought I understood, but never prayed for.
Change is all around us, and whether you agree with the changes swirling around you or not, one thing we all can agree on- change is hard.
My wife recently sent me this picture of my oldest son. The string represents his height at the beginning of the school year. Needless to say, he has grown three and half inches in nine months!
