[sunday meditations]

All through high school I assumed that by age 27 I'd be married, have a family, and be working at a podunk, backwoods church. It was a cherished dream, and inherent within that assumption was the conviction that that was what God had planned for me. Something I've been coming to terms with over the past several years, and especially these past several months, is that God has a tendency to use us as he sees fit, not as we want him to use us, or even as we expect him to use us. My heart burns with a desire for preaching and teaching, but in this season of life, God has placed me elsewhere, with an entirely different sort of ministry that is no less a ministry. 

I've been learning to be content not only with God's provision in my life, but also to be content with the station in life in which God has placed me. Having desired for so long, and having been convinced that preaching and teaching is all that God wants for me in working for the kingdom, it comes as a relief to realize that "men of God" are measured by obedience, not by performance or earthly success. In this season God has brought me to work the developmentally disabled, to show them the love, patience, and kindness of Christ. I've been learning, too, that this ministry is two ways: these individuals minister to me as much as I minister to them. I've come to a place where I know those men I work with not as "clients" but as cherished friends. We have inside jokes, witty banters, we poke fun at one another, and we quite literally share our lives with one another. I've held my friend close as he's wept into my shoulder for nearly an hour following the death of a loved one; my heart has broken at his grief, and I've found myself moved in foreign ways by his own compassion towards moments of hurt in my life. 

With his permission (and desire), I'm giving you, my blog reader, a snapshot of my ministry. Here are the words of my dear friend Ben, words that he wishes you, the internet reader, to know: 

"I'm going to meet all the judges from American Idol, because I'm going down there with my friend Kyle. I'm going to be an uncle, and to all the different people who are here tonight, to all my fans, I really want you to know that I've been a fan of Keith Urban for a long time. Sometimes I like to get the different judges mugs with their first name and last name on them, and the first judge isn't Simon anymore, don't give him a mug because he's fired. He wasn't nice to people, and I'm sorry, but if you're not nice to people, find the door! He was a nasty judge. There's a new Keith Urban album coming out called 'The Leaf of the Fly', and my album's going to be 'The Leaf of the Fly: I've Got A Crush On Keith Urban.' I love Keith Urban, and I really want to go home to Keith Urban in Nashville, where I belong at, and it makes tears come because I belong there, I don't belong in Cincinnati anymore. I promise I'll take some photos in Nashville, and I'll come and visit and show you the photos and the videos, and I promise I'll visit my parents, and my sister, and you, too."

Oh, but he's not done. "Also, after that, there's going to be a big barbecue party for me and Keith Urban. There's going to be barbecue chicken, white corn, mac and cheese, anything like that. Beer! Or soft drinks (because I'm in rehab; I just can't stop drinking, I'm drinking too much!). After the party, I can't even put it into words, and this isn't my idea, here's what's going to happen: right after Keith Urban is sitting down and talking to Ellen or Oprah, I'm going to pop onto the stage and perform Keith Urban's songs!"

Peace!

How can your life not be filled with joy with such a friend in your life?

#ivegotacrushonkeithurban