A Life of Ministry

I honestly don't know much about anything except for a tiny bit of music and ministry. When you think about it anything anyone truly knows--cooking, playing an instrument, coaching--is something they are constantly working at or working on. It's just a part of their life. I've grown up in the ministry. My father's a minister and my mother is his wife. Every bible study, every visitation, every church service my entire family was there--father, mother, sister, and myself. That's just how it was, and when I go home during the summers that's still how it is.

Growing up I always said I wasn't going to be involved at church "like this." I planned on attending a large church free of problems and drama..and I dreamt of singing on an amazing praise and worship team. I look back at those days. I was so young and naive. No church is free from problems and drama, just like no life is free from struggle.

Somewhere down my life journey the Lord laid upon my heart the very thing I didn't want to take part in growing up--the ministry. Over the years of anger and lack of patience, of frustration and learning I came to love God more; I came to love His people more and a great desire grew within my heart--a desire to serve the church.

When asked what my plans are after graduation, I basically said the same thing over and over and over.

"I feel led to work in the smaller churches, where they don't have the means to pay for a music minister or a youth minister. I want to help the smaller churches develop their music programs."

It was all such a great dream. In my mind the process, by God's grace, would go so smoothly and after helping one church I could move on to the next and then the next and then just go where ever the Good Lord would lead me.

Currently, I am helping in developing the music program at my god-father's church. Oh the struggles...
In the beginning I was so excited. I was just happy. One day it hit me that the Lord was giving me the priviledge now to live out the dream that I had been telling people about for the longest time.

But even that excited leaves me. The time and effort that I must muster up to get through a simple rehearsal knocks me over. I find myself dealing with a great number of personalities and sometimes it can be so disheartening.

But the call for Him is so great! In a month's time I've already learned so much about patience and the constant pouring our of His love on these people. I've just forgotten that as I pour out He will replenish me.

I'm tired and beat and the truth is I'm swamped--completely in over my head. But, my God is forever good, and His strength is at its best in my weakness.

So, I've lived a life of ministry since the day I popped into this world. I figure my niche could revolve around my current experiences but at the same time I would be using my life as an example of how the Lord is moving and how He is leading me. For instance, this week I didn't practice patience and grace at rehearsal, but I was reminded on numerous occasions this weekend that I should have.