MayDay, MayDay, MayDay!

Many of us experienced May Day back in our childhood and enjoyed the treats that happened to be waiting on our doorstep from a secret admirer!  The goal was to catch the person who left the basket in hopes of a kiss.  On May 1, 2011 I “caught” God leaving me a May Day “basket”, an opportunity to start an internship with Valley Church Student Ministries(VCSM).  This day was my first day on the job in which I was able to actually embrace the gift God had provided for me!  During the past four weeks I have been able to experience the joy of heeding God’s call and stepping out of the boat to follow Jesus!

Many of you know that I had been actively discerning what the next step in my journey would be.  Over the past 6 months it became quite clear that I should be working with youth.  The decision to move on came after multiple affirmations, some listed here: a great time in Panama City Beach as a chaperone for the Spring Break Trip through VCSM, my 4 years of coaching soccer with JUSC and the opportunity to be a role model for my players, working with High School students through Meals from the Heartland, and many conversations with mentors and friends that helped clarify the HEART I have for youth!  In the months to come I will be serving the Students of VCSM and the Des Moines Community, all the while continuing to discern God’s direction as I look to step into Youth Ministry permanently.

I think our world would tell us to look at this “leap of faith” as a need for the call of “mayday, mayday, mayday!”  There is a bit of “danger” ahead, or as I would like to call it, uncertainty.  Despite the joy and excitement that I am having in this opportunity, I am not going to hide the fact that there is risk in this decision.  Financial Risk is the largest risk that I face and for that reason alone many would avoid making the decision I have made to step into an internship role with internship pay.  Some of you may recall when I stepped out to co-found a mortgage company, Four Legacies Mortage, and in this process there was similar risk, however this time I am bringing God along!  For this reason I am at much more peace about the decision and I look to scripture for the Truth, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19

The challenge I put in front of each of you is to ask yourself… Am I walking with God?  I have found that there is much more joy and peace when walking with God.  We are all created with purpose and it is hard to know what that purpose is when we are not in relationship with our Creator.  I challenge those of you that know God to begin to take the relationship with Him seriously.  Take a walk with God and start to to communicate with Him through prayer, allowing yourself to open your heart and help you discover what His calling is on your life.  If you are someone who does not believe in God, I pray that you will someday have an opportunity to meet Him and that you will experience the blessing of a relationship with our Creator.  Every one of us has the opportunity to catch God leaving a “May Day” basket, a gift that allows us to follow His plan for our life.  The question becomes whether or not we want to catch Him?  I will promise you that He will not disappoint and you will find freedom!  If you have God with you, you can always rely on Him when you feel like calling “mayday, mayday, mayday!”