Tag: God

365 Days Later

In preparation for a major decision before me, I had a conversation with my good friend, Keith. In that conversation, Keith made a statement that could not have been more of a divinely inspired truth than if it came out of the mouth of Billy Graham himself. In the midst of our conversation, Keith said, “One year from now our lives are going to look completely different.” Boy, was he right; because three hundred and sixty-five (365) days ago my entire life changed forever.

On September 30, 2018, I woke up in Boulder, Colorado in the wee hours of the morning, hoping to catch a beautiful sunrise over the mountains in Estes Park. I wasn’t alone on this journey though, my girlfriend was sitting (sleeping) in the seat next to me in our rented Camaro. As we drove towards Brainard Lake that morning, I knew my life was going to change, while she on the other hand just anticipated another failed attempt of ours to catch the sunrise (side note- we don’t have the best track record of actually experiencing sunrises). 

We arrived to Estes Park in total darkness and stumbled our way to what I had described to Paige as the “premier” spot. The only problem I encountered was trying to sell her on that spot, because she knew we should have been on the other side of the mountain to see a clear shot of the sunrise. Inside, she was marking this down as another failed attempt to see the sunrise. 

Fast forward half an hour, Paige lost track of the fact that we were on the wrong side of the mountain, when she noticed that I was down on one knee. If you haven’t followed along with the story up until this point, Paige and I got engaged 365 days ago.

Many lessons have been learned this past year. I have learned how to be more loving. I have learned how to be a better communicator. I have learned to trust God more. I have learned that I will fail Paige. 

Many things have changed this past year. I have moved three times. I have sold a house. I have sold two cars. I have shut down a business. I have started a new job.

While the external changes are important, the internal changes are that much more important. Most people will only see the external transitions, but may miss altogether the internal transitions I have experienced. 

As I reflect on the last year, I cannot help but become more excited about the years to come. Paige and I are only 18 days away from making a life-time commitment of forever to each other, but also making a pledge to commit our marriage to whatever God calls us to. Over the last year, God has revealed promises to both of us that we know will never come to fruition without His hand of provision. From the outside looking in, it may not seem like all the pieces are fitting together. It may not look like we are taking life defining risks, but the changes that we have experienced internally together have influenced the trajectory of our lives and marriage. The changes haven’t been quick or overnight; but rooted in God’s timing.

“So be humble under God’s powerful hand. Then he will lift you up when the right time comes. Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you” – 1 Peter 5:6-7 ERV

When we began dating, we committed to being intentional. By being intentional in our relationship with each other and with Christ, we have experienced unexplained favor. Together, we are looking forward to our next season of life as we enter it with expectancy.

You need to know that no matter where life has you positioned right now, real life change can happen. However, that life change will only happen when you begin to press in and allow the Holy Spirit to work within you. As the work is being done within you, you will gradually become more like Christ.

You may not notice the change right away, but you will see it when you reflect back 365 days later. I can assure you of this, “One year from now our lives are going to look completely different.”

365 Days = Life Change.

A Life of Service

Having only attended 3 or 4 services at Connect Church, I walked in that Sunday remembering there was going to be a guest speaker. I thought to myself, “Well dang, this is either going to be a huge hit, or a big waste of time.” Our pastor got up and began introducing the speaker as a mentor and spiritual father, but then he said the words that made me tune right out… missionary . Having grown up in church, I knew having a guest speaker talk about missions meant the service would be less than engaging and more than likely a lousy sales pitch for funding. Now, in full disclosure, Pastor said President of OneHope, a global Mission Organization, but all I heard was “missionary.” I remember thinking, “this will be a snooze fest.” My experience with missions in my previous denominational context led me to boredom and disengagement.

This service was different. This guy was different. His story was different. His passion was different. Immediately, I was captivated by what he was saying. As he told story after story of the organizations history in country after country, I began to see they were making a major impact all over the globe. Once he finished sharing about OneHope, I wanted more. They announced at the conclusion of that service, that in June they would be partnering with OneHope for a mission trip. I knew no one in the church, but following the service, I texted the pastor from the parking lot, “I’m in.”

Fast forward a few weeks later to June of 2017. I found myself on an airplane headed towards Bogotá, Colombia with a group of people I didn’t know, from a church that I wasn’t very connected to. I was nervous. I was anxious. In full transparency, I was regretting my decision. Little did I know, in seven short days, my life would never be the same.

As we walked through the schools and orphanages of Colombia, I began to see that these people were living with real pain. They were longing for any sign of hope, but they were also resilient. They didn’t need material things for a smile to be beaming on their face. Standing among them, my perspective began to shift. While sharing the Word with them, I realized their pain wasn’t much different than the pain I’d been suppressing myself. I began to see that while we have endless material wealth in the United States, we are just as broken. Standing in the streets of Bogota, I realized for the first time that we are a world of broken people. The only thing that can bring true joy to all of life’s circumstances is peace found only in God.

When I arrived back in the United States, I was shaken and confused. Prior to our trip, I had a significant amount of worldly success and received many accolades in my business. None of that brought fulfillment to my life though, like being in a foreign country sharing God’s love. I didn’t know then, but recognize now, that God was calling me to be all in. In those moments, I realized true joy in life is found in serving others.

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking to yourself, “I’m not sure about the idea of serving”. I’ll admit, I was quite apprehensive at first myself. I encourage you to start small. Not everyone is called to go on, or needs to serve in global missions. There are daily opportunities for you to serve others. At the very essence of Jesus you find service. In our pursuit of becoming Christ-like, what better way than to start each day with an attitude of service.

“ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 (ESV)