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full circle: thoughts on the past 6 years
six years ago today i am back in the exact same place—sitting in the offices of community christian church (CCC) in naperville, illinois… yet, it’s taken me a while and a crazy journey to find myself right back here once again. today marks the 6-year anniversary of 9/11, and maybe that’s what’s provoked me to think a little bit about my journey over the course of the past 6 years that all started with sitting in the cafe watching the twin towers crumble before my very eyes on television.
in some respects it seems as if i’ve come ful-circle—going out after being ordained by CCC and being tested, tried, beaten-down and ultimately experiencing the gut-wrenching side of ministry. yet, now i find myself back here once again at this very same place preparing once again to be sent out into the vast open spaces of ministry… it’s strange, but this place of preparation has stirred up within me a wealth of fear, fear that somehow i will end up repeating the last 6 years of pain over again. but, i don’t want to be controlled by this fear, and i don’t want to take the seemingly safe choice of staying here within the safety and security that CCC has been for me throughout my ministry career. (i’m not sure if the church or its leaders really know just how much they have helped guide me and even protect me since i walked out of the doors 6 years ago to take my first full-time ministry position—CCC has truly been to me and will continue to be my home church!)
it’s funny, but i don’t really despise my journey thus far. i don’t regret decisions that i’ve made, the cross-country moves or even some of the positions that i’ve taken because i know i’ve learned a great deal from it all. the wisdom from this journey has been immense and although in many instances i wish i could’ve done some things differently, i know that they have served to bring me back to where i am today preparing for this next phase of life: planting a church in the 5th largest metro area in the united states.
it’s amazing how cyclical life can seem… it’s amazing how God brings us back with a fresh perspective and new tools to send us out all over again to give it another go… it’s amazing that it’s only been 6 years…
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3 Responses to “full circle: thoughts on the past 6 years”
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Happy early birthday!
I know that heart of yours about 2-3 years ago telling us in that old computer room saying how you had this call from God to do this. but your not necessarily going to Boston though. I remember you saying that you came from the California area, if I’m wrong disregard the rest of the reply, but Maybe God saw something in you that you couldn’t have completed in California before but now after Patience, Love, and the rest of of the fruits you can now be able to accomplish what God wanted you to do… think of it like this, an airplane before it has to take off needs to circle the runway and make sure that everything is clear before take off, then it lines itself up on the runway and it pushes the throttle down and takes off into the sky, You are circling the runway before take off, wait for everything to be clear and God will give you the okay for take off. Miss ya man and thanks for the class advice.
I always felt compelled to pick your brain over about some issues while you were still at heartland, and I never did.
Keep your eyes on Jesus. Please. It’s a huge responsibility to do what you have chosen to do. Without the humble realization that you are nothing without Jesus, it will all be in vain.