Convicted

It was a night at Sonic with some friends. We'd just left the Junior/Senior banquet and were searching for ice cream. So there we are... a group of about six sitting on the benches outside of Sonic with our floats, tots, and shakes... dressed to kill.

As always, someone drives into the parking lot going way too fast when they scrape the bottom of their car on the speed bump. We all laughed. (1) Because it was funny, and (2) I've done it before. As the car came around the drive through, I noticed that a piece of the weather stripping under the car had been pried loose under the front bumper. As I took a closer look, I noticed that it was actually dragging on the road. I asked a friend, "Do you think I should tell them?" After all, (not that I look down on women drivers) but it was a car full of girls. And, in my experience, most girls aren't car literate (as a matter of fact most guys only act like they are). And, with as loud as I know a group of girls can get... I was wondering if they would even hear the scrapping of the plastic before it came loose and hit another car or got caught in their tire.

As this car of girls is sitting at a red light in Clemson, I am wondering, "Should I run into the intersection to tell these girls (who will probably laugh at me.. or even mace me) that they have a four foot piece of plastic dragging under their car?" Comments began being made by my friends "They'll be fine", "It's no big deal", and I began to reason that they were right. But one comment stood out:

"If God is telling you to tell them, then you better do it. Otherwise, you'll think about it all night because you ignored it."

That's all it took. I ran across the parking lot, signaled them to roll down their window, the light turned green, I only had a moment, but I got it out "You've knocked a piece loose on the bottom of your car!!" They looked at me like I was crazy. After all, I was in the middle of a street, holding up traffic on a Friday night in Clemson, and to top it all off... I'm wearing a suit at the Sonic drive-in.

It doesn't matter how silly I looked or felt. I slept great that night. I knew that even though it was something small, I had done what God expected me to do. I mean, if I had knocked a part loose on my car I would hope that someone would tell me. I only did what I would expect of someone else, but that's what we're suppose to do. There are times when I have ignored that voice that says "Go," and I have wrestled with God for that decision for sleepless, agonizing hours of asking "What if?"

Don't ignore God. When we speak to Him, He listens. Now it's our turn. Listen. Respond.

What I've Done

Watch the video and think about the words.

"Let mercy come and wash away all I've done."

Waiting

The theme of this summer has been very clear to me: waiting. I've been waiting on dates for activities. I've been waiting for Kristie to come back. I've been waiting for payday. I had to wait at the drive through today for nearly 30 minutes. As a matter of fact, I am waiting on a phone call and numerous e-mails right now. It seems that there are a lot of things in life that I have to wait for in order to get the result I desire. And there are times that the result we want never comes. So what is worth waiting for?

I've noticed that many people seem to want things immediately. I've done it today. If I could have found a way to get out of that drive through today I would have done it. The food might have been fast, but the line certainly was not. Was it really worth waiting for? Not really. I mean, I spent more in gas trying to run the air than I did on the value menu.

I did a little experiment earlier this week. I've taken different roads to the church in order to see which route is faster. To be accurate, I made sure to do exactly the spend limit each time. You know what? It really doesn't matter that much. I caught every light green on 123 the other day, and then on the shorter and "faster" route I ended up behind a pickup that did 5-10 under the whole trip. I've found out that sometimes it doesn't matter if your car can do 0-60 faster than road-runner, sometimes you just have to wait. I can't force things to come faster, sometimes I just have to wait.

I'm waiting for so many things. I'm finding out that in order to get good results I have to do two things. One, I have to give it my all. I can't let up, and I have to follow through. Two, I have to wait. Sometimes this means that I'll be inconvienced, but it's the nature of life. In this fast paced life, the good things come with time. There are things that I have waited a long time for, and those things are slowly coming together.

A Craving for Substance

Lately, my taste in music has changed. I have become discontent with the average everyday music. I listen to the radio from time to time (yes the radio still exists… the Ipod hasn’t taken over, yet). Anyway, a good friend of mine and I were talking about how his taste in music is like a drug addiction. He started with the gateway stuff and he has now moved to music that is much harder in the Christian rock genre. Through his addiction I have been pulled in to an ever progressing chain of music that actually contains… substance.

Since listening to the group Emery, I have been caught up by the words of the song “Listening to Freddie Mercury.” Go to their webpage (www.emerymusic.com), and in the top right corner you’ll see the play list scrolling. Roll over it and click the song “Listening to Freddie Mercury.”

(You can go here http://www.plyrics.com/lyrics/emery/listeningtofreddiemercury.html to read the lyrics.)

Anyway, I have been craving more and more from the music I listen to. I’m not satisfied with the God-is-wonderful-I-have-no-problems mentality that contemporary Christian radio stations sometimes try to convey through their play lists. I’m tired of people thinking that the Christian life is easy. It isn’t! It’s hard, it is full of struggles, and it is full of changes. If you’re walk with God has become lax and boring then it’s time for an overhaul. The Christian life is about shifting where the Spirit leads. It is because God is in control that “we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” This doesn’t mean that the Christian life is a life free from troubles, but it does mean that a Christian has something firm to stand on when hard times hit.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
-Romans 8:38-39

Through the hard times, God is there. Through the good times, God is there. Through the uncertain and ever changing times, God is there.

God is here.

Experiencing a Life Shift

Part of being in the ministry includes:

“The act of making friends,

building relationships,

saying goodbye,

and making new friends.”

-Jeff Roper

How true these words are! Last night was one of the hardest nights that I have experienced in the past year and a half regarding youth ministry. I’ve taken a position at a church as a full time youth pastor. I’m so excited.

Problem is saying hello to one church means saying goodbye to another. And though the new church has a larger facility and an already larger youth group, it hurts to leave the smaller, younger youth group. I have grown close to the youth and the congregation. I have seen such growth in this young group. I know that they will do well, and that they will do a great work for God in their community without me. I know that they have a heart to follow God, not me. Because of their love for God, they will impact many.

I know that it must have hurt Christ to leave his disciples. I imagine that He grew close to more than just the twelve. Paul talks about Timothy, Silas, and Luke; but he also mentions others that are friends he only gets to visit when he goes to certain cities.

In the same way, I feel like I have made friends, both in the youth group and among the adults at the church, but I also have the assurance that leaving one place and going to another is what God wants for me to do. It has been one of the hardest transitions to make. I have even found myself asking early on if this would be the right move. Through much prayer, and numerous conversations with other mentors of The Faith, I have come to the conclusion that this move is the right thing. More so, through the conviction of the Holy Spirit I feel like it would be wrong for me to decline the current opportunity at this other church.

I know that God is not done with either one of the churches, nor is He done with me. I pray, that not only I but both of the churches, will be obedient to what the Spirit whispers in the years to come. May we all be the light used to show the world the love of Christ Jesus.

In His Grip

Hank