Goals

Blogging. 

It’s something I used to do daily. 

It’s something I spent a lot of time doing when I didn’t have time.

It’s something that when I had all the time in the world I ceased from doing.

Why?  I don’t know.

But I want to do it more, again. 

Starting tonight.

The subject of goals came up in Sunday School a week ago and I had never really thought about that. 

Until then…and now.

When I started my journey into the post high school life I had goals like most any other.  Make a lot of money.  Have nice things.  I had no clue of what I wanted to be or how to achieve those goals.

I learned early on that I had a gift and a passion for music.  I began to exercise those gifts and like a naive kid I thought I’d “make it”.  Not really thinking about how hard that may be.

I wanted to be a star.  A rock star. 

I tried really hard.

I lived the life.

And then it ended.

The next thing I know I’m a married college dropout…with kids…working an 8-5 at a manufacturing facility.

I still had those goals but could see how near impossible they would be to obtain.

Then a funny thing happened. 

Those goals became an afterthought.  8 years later I have a new goal.

My new goal is…….drum roll please…..

To honor God in all I do.

To leave a Christlike imprint on everyone I am in contact with.

When I lost my job I made a commitment to God and my family that I would never again take a job that required me to sacrifice my time with my family or my ministry.

I turned down several opportunities immediately after becoming unemployed because they would interfere with a commitment I had just made to God.

Many times while others were at work, I knelt at my couch in prayer making pleas to God to provide opportunities for me in employment.  But those opportunities didn’t come.

I also prayed for opportunities to exercise my faith.  To share Christ with others.  I thought that meant an opportunity to join a church staff somewhere as a youth leader, or a worship leader.  But those opportunities didn’t come.  At least not the way I’d planned it.

I didn’t understand it then, but I do now. 

During that time God sent people into our home.  Some of them practically lived with us for a season.  

They are all gone now.  Some off to college.  Some just growing up. 

But the time we spent discussing God.  Discussing His grace and mercy.  The time we spent was so special to me.  I know that God sent them here for a reason and I can only pray that they left here better than when they came.  That they grew spiritually and matured in their faith.

I was also approached about helping out with the football program at the school.  I love football and for me, at the time, it was just a great thing to be able to be around football and be immersed in all of that.

But more than that it was an opportunity for me to exercise my faith.  To be a positive example of Christ for so many kids.

But that season ended and I understand that God’s will isn’t our own sometimes and we have to be OK with whatever he sends our way.  And I felt a deeper understanding of what it means when we say “In God’s time” just shortly after.

Shortly after all ”our kids” moved out I was offered an opportunity to work part-time.    I was approached about a job at Foodland, the local grocery store here in New Site.  I discussed my situation with the owner and was literally hired over a facebook message thread. 

Amazingly enough, it has turned out to be the absolute perfect answer to a prayer that I’ve prayed for 16 months.  But all in God’s timing.  

If God had provided other employment a year ago would I have had that time with those teens that stayed in our home?  The answer would be no. 

Would I have been able to help out with the football teams and be in the lives of over 1o0 kids?  No.

You see, my goals changed.  My goals are different from many others.  My goals are to first and foremost honor and serve God with my life.  To be the hands and feet of Christ. 

Fortunately, I have a wife that understands and supports that.  Have these last 16 months been all grand and wonderful?  At times,  yeah.  At times, no. 

There have been sleepless nights worried about how a bill would be paid.  (There still are to be honest).  But God has provided.

There were times when I wondered what we were going to eat or how we were gonna feed anywhere from 6 to 10 really hungry kids and teens.  But God provided.

There were times when I heard the whispers of those who said I was lazy.  That I didn’t want to work.  That I wasn’t doing my job as a father or provider for my family. 

Times when I wanted to throw the towel in.  Times when I thought I was going to lose it.  Times when I thought I couldn’t handle it anymore and didn’t want to live. 

But God provided.  He provided me the strength.  He provided me the love of my family.  He provided me the friendship of four smelly, teenage young men.  He provided me the safety and comforts of a church and ministry that I could drown myself in and forget about all of the clutter and distractions of my daily life.

My Redeemer is faithful and true.  If God is for us, who can be against us.

Through all the trials of my life God was there and always provided a way. 

The perfect timing of an email from a loved one. 

The perfect timing of a kind word of encouragement from a mentor as we’re leaving church. 

The perfect timing of someone “dropping in” at 11:00 at night just to hang out and perfectly interrupting my walking the floors worried about another something.

The perfect timing of a job 3 miles from my home that allows me the opportunity to be with my family when it matters.  To be able to have time to focus on my ministry.  To be able to continue being in the lives of those kids on the football field.

The perfect answer to many tear-filled prayers for an opportunity to meet my goals in life.

Most of us will not leave millions for our kids to inherit.  Most of us won’t leave behind trust funds or huge lots of land for our families to fight over and sell.  Most of us will only leave an imprint on people.  Most of us will only leave memories of how we affected others.  My goal is to leave a Christlike imprint on this world when I leave here.  In order for me to reach that goal I must attain this goal….

To honor God in all I do. 

If in doing that I achieve that big house on the hill with nice things and a ride with an air conditioner then that will be fine with me.  But I will be careful to give God all the glory for it and I will forever be careful to always honor God in all I do.