43
years of life. 23 years in the
ministry. 20 years of marriage. 3 great kids.
One of them recently got her first car and is preparing to go to her
first prom. The next oldest will get her
driver’s learning permit next month. The
youngest, my boy, will be going to middle school in the fall.
All of
that to say this one thing… reality set in last night as our son graduated from
Cub Scouts with the arrow of light award.
As I was watched him it hit me.
Where have all the years gone? We
are blessed, but the years really have flown by.
It was
yesterday we were moving to Virginia, and our girls were still very young. We have watched the kids grow and learn so
much through these years. I have had the
honor to being part of my sweet wife bettering herself with school, a master’s
degree and moving forward all because of following God’s leading.
People
have told me for years that we have to cherish the time we have because the
kids grow up too fast. Before we know it
they heading off to college and having all kinds of success. This dad is not ready and struggles with
several of these ‘rights of passage’ that the kids go through. That’s just a fact.
Then I
look back over the last 7 and half years realizing that the church we helped start
has grown and is doing amazing things.
Last year we were able to impact thousands of lives of all different
kinds of people. It has been and
continues to be an honor to speak into the lives of people and call out their
God given potential. It really is
incredible.
Romans 4:21 NLT
He was fully
convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.
I have
some questions that aren't easy for me to answer or even to hear the answers
to.
Am I
holding my kids or my wife back from being all God wants them to be? I ask that of the people I get to serve as
well.
Teach them to
your children. Talk about them
when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed
and when you are getting up.
Are
there things in my life that are holding me back from seeing and being part of
more of what God wants to do in my life and in the ministry God has given me?
1 Peter 1:15 NLT
But now you
must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.
And
one final question is one that gets my heart pumping faster and faster.
What
is it that God wants to do to serve the greatest amount of people to make the
most difference for His kingdom through my life?
So we keep on
praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his
call. May he give you the power to accomplish
all the good things your faith prompts you to do.
I
cannot wait to see the places that our kids and my wife get to go and all they
will achieve. It thrills me to see
people live with courage, experience God and to let their faith thrive.
What
often holds us back from seeing God do incredible things is our lack of faith. My prayer is that I will cherish the time I
have and do all I can to call out the potential in the lives of the people that
I care about. This really is a great
time to be alive. Reality has set in.
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