Wait. . . there's a pulse. . .

Hello again to any one that has not given up on seeing me post another blog entry. I know it's a long shot that in two years my four faithful followers have stuck with me, but here it goes anyway. I have thought of many ways to try and explain where I have been the last two years and here are my top five excuses:

1. Went skydiving and a straight wind of great magnitude carried me to
a deserted island where I lived until my wife recently ran out of
money and had to have the coast guard retrieve me (who am I kidding,
I have never had any money).

2. Was in a boating accident and have been in a coma (too many people have
used this one).

3. Journeyguy began to tell me a joke about two brothers named Pete and
Repeat and it took me until now to get it . . . he's such a jokester.

4. I went on a hunting trip to Morrow Bottoms and have been wandering
for the last two years.

5. Was in the bathroom taking a European Vacation ;-)


As you can see, I have nothing.

In all seriousness, the last two years have been a whirlwind for my family. God had put us in a collision course with His will and all we could do was hang on for the ride. As my world began to spin round and round into complete oblivion I threw my hands in the air. I could not have even begun to imagine what was in store for me and my family over the next two years. Here are the cliff notes:

* Said no to God when He gave me the opportunity to join His call on my life.
* My job began to become a merciless sinkhole and suck the life out of me.
* I began to despise what I once felt called to.
* Depression set in quickly and like a thief in the night it robbed me of
my God given joy.
* My wife told me she felt led to take in orphans (to add to our family
of three kids)
* Now depression had me by the throat and began to squeeze the life out of me.
* I shut down my wife's crazy talk with excuses of single income, not enough
space, I travel too much, can't manage what we have, etc.
* Wife begins to pray relentlessly.
* I still had not been sold on the orphan idea, but it didn't take God but a
a few weeks to stop me in my ignorance.
* He began to reveal His ways are not my ways and my weakness is no match for
His awesome power and provision.
* One night, about a month later I awoke in the middle of the night with
a scripture reference from Isaiah burning into my brain, so clear it
was as if it were written literally in the air.

It read, "I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest
corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen
you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and
help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

* At that moment I felt the depression lift and a renewed purpose in my life.
* Needless to say I surrendered to the calling of adoption (amazing God story
that will have to be told another time).
* Very quickly we went from a 5 member family to an 8 member family.
* I soon had to make a decision to either continue my exhausting career or
be more available at home.
* I had sinced God moving me toward ministry but unclear how. So I did what
any since able person would do. . . I quit my job.
* I thought that it would be a quick transition due to, "this is what God
wanted", but instead it was a long faith journey.
* I didn't have a job and then a few weeks later the economy bottomed out.
* It was hard to see then, but GOD REMAINED FAITHFUL.
* When we were down to nothing - GOD PROVIDED.
* When we had gone through our retirement - GOD REASSURED
* When we began to question if God was who we heard - GOD KEPT WORKING
* When the time was right-GOD UNLOADED HIS BLESSINGS
* All of the following happened within a few weeks:
* Immanuel Baptist Church called me as their Worship Pastor
* We sold our house in two weeks - in a terrible market, without
advertisement
* We found a house two blocks from church - it wasn't for sale
* Made an offer anyway - the owner accepted and we purchased it


Sometimes the path doesn't seem so clear. Most of the time it looks overgrown, untraveled, and definitely not safe. But God nudges and says, "I'm here". As you begin to slip in as delicately as you can, you soon realize you are being knocked down by branches, cut by thorns, burned by the blazing sun, and weighted down by all the mud that collects on your clothes and shoes. Every time you step your body says turn back but your heart says finish the race.

This time I finished the path ahead of me. I wish I could say I did it completely in faith and that I never wavered, but the fact that God slammed the door from where I came from and locked me out would probably be more accurate. I am thankful that He didn't allow me to retreat to what I had left, because I can say there is nothing like finding the destination God set before you. No matter how beaten up and scared I have become it all was nothing in comparison to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.