From time to time, our walk with God takes us to place where we must reflect on the past, the present, and what His will is for us in the future. In just about 15 days, I will have been living in Texas for exactly 1 year. While this last year has been a growing experience with me and my walk with God, the months leading up to that year were not so great. That’s what happens though when you are alright with God. Just alright. Every time you think you are alright with God, He allows a circumstance to befall you that reminds you that there is so much more you have to learn.
In many cases, being forced to learn new things causes us to put up a fight. Students from Elementary to High School fight against parents and teachers when being told that they MUST learn in order to receive an award whether a grade or some special treat. Yet even with that prize, it is still not enough to make the situation peaceful or less stressful for parties on both sides. Similarly, God had something new in store for me in the form of opportunities here in Texas. I however decided I was already alright and didn’t need God telling me what I should and should not be doing. Yes, these are all things I have talked about before and it just sounds like I’m repeating the same old testimony. In reality though, it was a situation that nearly had me walking away from church for good.
For those newer to this blog, there are only remnants of it’s origins left. Many a blog was deleted and edited to reflect a massive change of heart and spiritual direction. Though, through some of the older blogs, you can kind of piece together some of what happened. For those that know, there was a lot of anger, a lot of frustration, and a lot of other things. I once wrote in a now non-existent post “I do not hate the people of my former employment…”. This was a statement to help me rationalize that I was doing the right thing. Let me tell you, the minute you ignore Proverbs 3:5-6 and start to try to use your own reasoning for things, you are destined for trouble. My personal experience taught me that we have no choice but to rely on God’s understanding and wisdom. When we lean on our “own understanding”, we look foolish and exposed for the real person that we are–a sinner who needs God.
But God is patient (which should be an example to us). Even though I was ready to give up on church and doing the “Christian” thing, God was not ready to give up on me. I think God was frustrated when he saw that I had taken matters into my own hands. By doing so, I was not willing to listen to Him. I was so hot, loud, and angry that the sound of His still small voice was completely drowned out by my mindless and thoughtless commotion.
Now, over the course of a year, God has turned my entire spiritual world upside down (thanks of course with the help of some of the greatest people I’ve ever met). I stumbled upon a new church that was so alive, I could hardly believe it. I’m not saying that my old church was spiritually dead, I think, like we all get at times, they were just stagnant. I know I was stagnate. And I wasn’t getting any fresher by sticking to the same old routine. I was to comfortable.
It went further than just waking me up. I stepped into a spiritual realm that, before coming out here, I thought was old-fashioned Bible stuff. Never again! God shook me up and opened up a new world I couldn’t help but want more of. With the help of those great Christian people (and an awesome church), I came to realize that there was so much more that God wanted to bestow upon me. I thought I had all that I deserved or could get. So not so.
Here I am nearly 2 weeks after our Revival and still just as in awe as I was during the Revival. I’ve been to those “mountain top experience” sort of things before but I’d never been to something like this. This was a God-encounter! And now that I have actually encountered God, there is so much more I want to learn.
I have been blessed to work with the people I’ve worked with in Anza. I have been blessed to be a part of the lives of those from Anza. But I never expected for God to bless me as much as He has here in Cove. I guess what I’m trying to say is thanks to God and thanks to all of those who have allowed me to be a part of your lives. It has been a privilege to work with the kids/students I have worked with. I hope am a blessing to those of you who read this and those whom I see in person on a regular basis.
In Christ,
Mr. Josh




