I am unbelievably exhausted today. When I woke up this morning I almost felt sick enough to stay home, but made it through the day after all. I was walking in church this morning around 7:15 and I thought about that fact that I have not been sick since around this time last year.
I had been grilling hotdogs and playing kickball at a park in Belhaven on a Wednesday night with the Jr. High group at fbcj. i smelled like sweat and a charcoal, so I took at crazy fast shower in the clc and loaded my stuff and headed to crossgates to catch the end of choir practice. Buster had invited me to come and hang out and bring my gear to play that Sunday night. I felt so sick by the time I had got to Brandon but kept a straight face through it all since it was my first time there. Afterwards I went to the Net and was introduced to some of the high school band guys and talked there for a few minutes.
Lets just say that when I got in my car to drive back to Clinton I knew that my time was drawing near. I drove as fast as I could, but every bump in the road made everything worse. I turned on Springridge road in Clinton, then on to hwy80, then I turned on to capitol st through the college headed to my house. MC had just installed new speed bumps on that road. headed up that hill, flying, just trying to get home, I went over the first speed bump. I had enough time to pull right into the side road by the colisieum and get my car door half way open. and I threw up everywhere.
I was sick for the next 2 or 3 days. food poisoning I guess or the stomach virus. And I knew then through those few days that something was trying its best to discourage me to go to Crossgates that sunday night to play for the first time. And to be honest I almost backed out. but I was better by sunday and went. If I hadnt went. well, things would be very different now.
This whole event took place in April of course. The previous September, me and JJ and Nick Jones went camping one weekend. We had wanted to take a camping trip like this for a while. We went to stay one night, and we were going to fast for that time. When we got there that Friday afternoon, we all split and went on our own hike to spend time with the Lord. I hiked for a couple of hours, and we all came back to camp by dark. During my time the Lord lead me to memorize part of John 15. "I am the vine, and you are the branches...abide in me.. apart from me you can do nothing...the gardener prunes the vine so that it may produce more fruit." And this scripture had nothing to do with anything in my life at this time. I didnt understand why the Lord me to it, but He did. Fast forward to the beginning of April. Crossgates had contacted me and began to talk to me about the possibility of working for them. they offered my a job, and I had no idea. I was so scared to leave fbcj where I had been for 4 years as an intern. but I knew it was time to move on. I had learned so much there, been there through 4 different youth ministers, watched 9th graders graduate from high school, had invested life into those students, and I was comfortable, but it was time to go.
At this point in April after the job offer, I went on a fast for 3 days. I prayed and dove into scripture and listened to the Lord for direction on whether or not Crossgates was where He wanted me to be, I was kind of skeptical about saying yes to the first opportunity for some reason. During this fasting time the Lord kept bringing back to me Hebrews 12 where it speaks of the Lord disciplining His sons because He loves them. --I asked over and over, what does this have to do with me praying about going to Crossgates.
That upcoming Sunday me and Amanda went to Crossgates to visit a Sunday morning service. The service was great, the music was good. The pastor stepped up to preached and asked us to turn to John 15 where he was preaching that day (instantly thinking of that September camping fast). He explained about pruning the vines saying sometimes people serving the Lord in different places may have opportunity to use their talents in bigger ways elsewhere. And it might sound harsh to prune and cut back the branches on a vine, but by doing so it will be able to bear much more fruit. I hung on to this every word. And then especially when He opened to Hebrews 12 and continued on pruning saying that a Father disciplines his son because He loves him. that was my release. Unbelivable. no, more than that. perfect.
I started Crossgates on June 16th 2008.
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