In The Sun

Can you remember when you realized, when you had that epiphany, when you knew what you were going to do for the rest of your life?

I do.

I only do because it has happened collectively over the past week. And I told you a little bit about it, but now I'm going to delve a bit deeper.

Now let me clarify. I will always be a writer. But I know I won't be happy just writing. Writing is my greatest release. But, if I'm doing nothing but writing, what will I write about?
And I know God is calling me to more.
Maybe it's His plan that I'll change lives by my writing. But I need to learn more. And so I learn. I go to school. I plan on being a youth minister.

Now a few months ago I decided I was going to follow in the footsteps of my grandfather and father both and become a pastor.
Me and a friend decided we'd start a New Age church based on Old School theory. [Any one is welcome. Wear your jeans. But, kid, you're learning about Jesus.]
We decided that she'd be the worship leader, and I'd take care of kids and youth. She'd be the main pastor for Sunday mornings, but I'd stand in every now and then. It was pretty evenly split and we both really liked it.

But I didn't feel as though I was led to do youth ministry. I figured I'd do missions work after a while. Traveling around, preaching to people of all ages, or all races, or all languages.

But now. Oh boy. Now. Well.

You guys all know that I work with a middle school youth group every Wednesday.
For a while, it was only ever on Wednesdays. I saw the kids, I talked with them, I prayed for them on that night and then I went home and on with my week.

But now.

A week and a half ago or so, a friend of mines younger sister, [who goes to my Wednesday night group.] was dumped. And she found God through this break up. She devoted her life to Christ while texting me.

And I was so proud of her. I was beyond proud of her.

And ever since that day, I've called her every night at ten o'clock while I'm walking my dog. [I have a really long road. It takes a half an hour.] And I talk with her about her day. About her soccer games. About her bible reading she does every night.

And I just talk with her.

And when she hangs up, I'm at the end of my dirt road where it runs into one of the busier streets in town. And I crouch down and watch my dog run around, snapping at fireflies.

And I look up at the sky.

And I ask God to watch her. To make sure she knows she is loved, to make sure that she knows she has the power of the King of Kings behind her. And that one day, she'll move mountains.

And that I'll be proud of her the entire time.

At 5 yesterday evening I had a meeting with our Children's minister. It was me, him and a friend. She's in ninth grade and has a younger sister who is a seventh grader that attends my Wednesday night group. After our meeting, me and my friend went upstairs and saw her sister and her two friends in a corner. One was on the phone, the other; crying. We immediately went over.

To make a very long story rather short, I spent fifteen minutes defending a girl I had never met before then to a girl over the phone.

And when they walked away, feeling better and with dried tears, I prayed for them. For all of them. That they'd know peace. That they'd be protected.

That they'd know God.

So this entire past two weeks or so has just been God playing with my tapestry, [so to speak] and showing me that, no. I may not be traveling the world the rest of my life, but if I do, it'll be leading a bunch of teenagers.

It won't be by myself. I'll be with a group of fifteen years olds.

Youth pastor to be? Maybe.

DAYS UNTIL I LEAVE FOR PERU: 32