Who do you want to be(come)?


A long time ago... in a galaxy seemingly far away... I wanted to be a player in the NFL.  I dreamed of being a linebacker, who was notorious for destroying the running game and making continuous interceptions. I wanted to be the one guy who was so good, he ended up playing at least a season on EVERY NFL team! ...now I realize that playing on every team would have meant that I was so bad that I was constantly being traded.  And I wasn't even the best of the best playing for the West Monroe Rebels.

That dream faded when my love for non-conformist, yet surprisingly commercial, pop music sprang up within me, and I wanted to be the singer in an English New Wave band.  Only it turns out I wasn't English... nor could I really sing very well.  But I totally dressed the part, though.

That gave way to who I REALLY wanted to be.  My athletic side collided with my artsy side in the Land Where Sports Meets Entertainment - yes, I wanted to be a professional wrestler!  Sorry, not posting a pic of me in wrestling trunks (aka a Speedo).

Along the journey, there were other things I wanted to be.  And I gave each one a shot.  Even "real jobs" like retail and management.  For a while, it was great chasing a dream, but I would always end up with a sense of  being unfulfilled.  Perhaps this helped develop my iconoclastic philosophy of "experiment, and if it doesn't work out, try something else."

Then... to borrow a phrase from a mentor of mine who has a similar (yet very different in the details) story to mine... I fell into being a pastor.

I say "fell into" because it wasn't part of my plan, it wasn't what I wanted to do with my life.  A pastor was not who I wanted to be.  In a season of soul-searching, I came face to heart with the reality that, in the midst of all I dreamed of becoming, I had never really entertained what it meant to be an actually follower of Jesus.  I knew much about Jesus and God and church, but my heart's desire had never really been to be a "child of God."  In an instant, everything changed.  When my heart's desire became to be whoever God wanted me to be, a new desire welled up within me.  It was exciting.  It was the first time I had actually felt a sense of wholeness.  My desire was to be a preacher.  My plan instantly became to be a preacher.  It was scary.

When I made the heart-decision to seek God's way instead of my own, I obediently fell into His plan.  That was 23 years ago.  And it is still my desire, and has become my true passion.  I'm still learning, and my assumption is that I always will be. 

Now, I'm not saying that when you say, "OK God, I want to be whoever you want me to be," that He will call you to be a pastor or preacher.  That's not everyone's path.  I'm also not saying that when you say "Yes" to God, that everyone is always perfect and shiny with puppies and rainbows.  What I am saying is that when you go all-in with Jesus, there is a deep sense of fulfillment and joy that gets you through anything.  And, I am still becoming.

When Jesus is the subject, everything else is subject to Jesus.

Who do you want to be(come)?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Choosing your worship style.

Image
The above photo is from a youth convention in 2001... and yes, that is yours truly with the ponytail.

One of the biggest battles within Christian congregations is "worship style." Now, one on the outside looking in, may be wondering, "Battles? Isn't there enough going on in the world to not be having battles amongst yourselves?" One would think so... wouldn't one. Never the less, this is an issue that has caused major fights between people who have chosen to continue the mission of Jesus (yes, that was a loaded statement; read it again if you like).

To some people, style is everything. To others, the One being worshiped is everything. To others, they just show up out of routine or duty.

Most people in emerging generations understand that the word worship has been taken out of context, and that it really has more to do with how you live day in and day out than what songs you sing or what rituals you partake in once or twice a week (more or less). The &qu…
Read more

Change of Plans

Image
I took this selfie during a short break between groups, as I led 4th & 5th graders in afternoon field games in the Louisiana heat last week. The shirt I'm wearing is from The Global Gathering of the Church of God, which took place in Anderson, IN, a few years ago.

The significance? At the exact same time that I took this pic at Camp Pollock, LA, the Global Gathering was once again taking place, this time in Orlando, FL.

When it was announced the Global Gathering would be held in Orlando, I doubt there was anyone more excited than I was. The Global Gathering of the Church of God is a wonderful event that I never want to miss. Orlando is my favorite city in the world. And the dates of the event coincided Shelly and my 29th wedding anniversary.  I immediately began to dream and plan on how we could attend the Global Gathering, and then tack on a much-needed family vacation as an Anniversary gift to ourselves and our boys.

Financially, this would mean cutting even more corners an…
Read more

3 Essesntial Parts of Living Your Best Life (or, Drinking Your Best Coffee)

Image
I really like coffee. I know, SURPRISE, right?  A friend was visiting from out of town a while back, and he asked, "Where do I get the best cup of coffee in town?"  I told him about one of my favorite spots on Front Street (Front Street Marketplace is you're ever in Natchitoches, LA), as I answered, "Their coffee is really good, but if you want the BEST cup of coffee, you have to come out to the house."

We have a coffee maker that is a phenom of a machine. It has a built in grinder. That's right, I grind the coffee beans myself... and it is actually a part of the coffee maker! Just the aroma itself is reason to celebrate, but the taste is far superior to any ground coffee I've ever tried.

But the machine itself can't produce that sweat nectar of the bean. No, there are three essential things needed to drinking your best cup of coffee. Similarly, there are three essential things needed to living your best life.

1) The Bean. The bean matters. Typicall…
Read more