HE MUST INCREASE
I MUST
DECREASE
There is a special place in my heart for the little country at the bottom of Africa where I was born and raised. The new sanctuary in our church was still under construction when I sat on its steps and confessed Christ as Lord. I grew deeply into the life of that congregation over twenty years until I met my true love, Amber Dimmette. She came over as a missonary for two years, and only half left me behind. So we dated long distance for a year and were married here in Charlotte in the summer of 2008. She is my best friend and a true partner in ministry. Eleven years in, I'm 37, we have three handsome, rambunctious sons, Colin (8), and Caleb (5), and Corbin (3).
My mom always believed and told me she thought I was "called." I was passionate about God and the Bible, though, I never set out to be in full-time ministry. I always thought I was destined to "make it" in music. But the more deeply I entered into the world of Scripture, the more I discovered, each time to my surprise, that "pastor" was who I was becoming. Turns out that these two passions do not have to be opposed to each other. And then Paul's command resonated in me, "Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress" (1 Tim 4:14-15). And that point it was "here we go." The next day a friend handed me an envelope saying, "I'm not sure what your plans are for next year, but I felt like you are supposed to have this." It was an application form to the seminary I would go to for the next 4 years. The path has been a rollercoaster with smiles and tears, and sometimes both at the same time. But in all of it, God has been faithful.
I believe the road ahead, like the road thus far, will be marked by the same faithfulness of God. When I was younger I think I always wanted to predict what I would be when I grew up. I suppose I wanted to be able say, "this is what I'm going to be" - then I go and do it, then I can say, "See, I told you I would." There's been times where it was "pastor" and other times it was "worship leader" ... eventually I saw how often I had incorrectly predicting the next step, and I've learned to hold my calling loosely before the Lord. I heard someone say it's like standing on two legs: I have the "pastoral" leg of my calling, and the "musical" leg. And this whole time it seems that although at times the weight has shifted from one leg to the other, the Lord seems to keep both legs on the ground in some way that is pleasing to Him. Just like James says "If the Lord wills, we shall live, and do this or that..." Js 4:15.
"In a man's heart he determines life's course; but the LORD determines his steps" Proverbs 16:9