This post was originally from 11/16/2009. I find it to be a good reminder of what God has been doing in my life over the past several years.
Joshua 4:20-24 (NASB)
20 Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.
21 He said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’
22 then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’
23 “For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed;
24 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”
Yesterday, my pastor preached on the benefits of having spiritual markers in our lives; which motivated me to remember the spiritual markers I have placed in my life over the years. I appreciated the fact that as he was preaching, he identified a few of his. Just as he did yesterday, I would like to take the opportunity to identify some of mine.
- Marker 1: My adoption, 1962. I know that I do not “remember” anything about being adopted except what I have been told, yet it is a marker in my life of how God was and is very active in developing who I am.
- Marker 2: My salvation, 1969. I was six years old at the time I received Christ. I remember going each night to the revival services and coming home and talking to my mom about what was shared. I remember her attempting to talk me out of making a decision because so many others were. On the Sunday I made my decision public, my dad was home sick and I was sitting by myself in the sanctuary of my home church. My mom came out of the choir and asked me if I was for sure Jesus was speaking to me. I made my decision public that morning. I was then baptized with about 15 others the following week.
- Marker 3: Glorietta, 1978. It was the first year for Centrifuge and I was 15. I was walking with a girl up the side of the mountain and talking to her about her relationship with her boyfriend. That night during the service, God called me to the ministry, but I told Him I would be the best Christian friend and listener I could be.
- Marker 4: My call, 1982. I had just experienced a true rededication as I had been running from God in my life. On a Thursday night, I was sharing with a group of teenagers about trusting God with all they had and God asked me if I was doing what I was speaking about. I knew the reason for the question. He was calling me again to serve Him. The following Sunday, I was going to make my decision public when the pastor began preaching on “Sexual Sin.” I decided I would have to wait because I did not want anyone to think that I was guilty of any of what the pastor was preaching on. God told me to go ahead and make the decision public. I remember asking God if He really wanted me to do that. I then said that I would step out and if He did not want me to continue, He could break my legs. He did not break my legs and my made my decision public on that day. Just a couple of weeks later, my home church licensed me to the ministry and I left for East Texas Baptist College at that time to begin the formal training for the ministry.
- Marker 5: My Marriage and Family. God has given me a wonderful wife and two awesome children to help me and motivate me in my daily living for the Lord. Yes, there have been some struggles along the way. But as I look back on the past 24+ years I see the hand of God directing us, providing for us, and taking care of us. On one specific occasion, a man gave me $67 and told me that it was the most unique amount of money God had ever given him to give to someone else. The next day I went to seminary to buy books and they cost me $66.90. God even gave me $.10 to buy some gum for the drive home which was 125 miles. On several occasions He has blessed us in the same way.
- Marker 6: The Defining of my ministry, 2008. As I was driving back from an interview with my home church I was praying about what God wanted me to do. I really thought that going back “home” was exactly it as in my mind that would be the right thing to do. I could help my parents. I knew the town. I knew the church. To me, this was going to be an easy decision. God had other plans for me. During the 5 ½ hour drive back to Wake Village, He laid on my heart the vision for Directed Path Ministries. He began placing names of men to serve on my board of directors. He outlined many of the steps that I was going to have to take in order to pursue this Pastoral Counseling ministry. When I got home and shared it with Lisa, she had many of the same confirmations of the direction for my ministry. Over the past eighteen months, God has reaffirmed the direction. I have had people who have donated money for the launch of my website, a design for shirts (even gave me several), as well as becoming regular donors for the ministry.
As I have looked at each one of these markers as well as some of the others in my life, I know that God is still working in me and defining my calling so that I can better serve Him and glorify Him. What are your markers? Do you understand the significance of each one so that your life reflects who God is creating you to be? Are we using the markers to help us teach our children who God is in our lives?
After spending more than 25 years on church staffs, God has allowed me to take the experiences and knowledge that I gained to develop a Biblical Counseling ministry. The basis of this ministry is to allow God’s Word to shine on the main issues in peoples’ lives in order to bring His resolutions to problems.