Dear reader,
It is so good to write to you once again, I have missed dearly our conversations and I hope that it is beneficial to you and your walk with our Lord.
Out of all the events that happened over the past 6 months there are a select few that I will share. I’d advise buckling up, some of these might speak into the season of life you are walking through, and if that is the case maybe the Holy Spirit is going to teach you how to keep walking.
I will begin in the summertime. To be honest not much happened this summer, not as much as I anticipated. I was working over at Christimore (The juvenile treatment center) and doing my best to be faithful to the work there. But outside of that job, nothing was happening.
I became comfortable. Which if you know me is one of my greatest pet peeves in life. Comfort levels for me nudge me into complacency which I’ve always been weary of.
The summer was something I had always enjoyed growing up due to my heavy involvement in summer camps. I believe if my math is correct I have worked or attended a summer camp every year of my life except for 2 years (I think.)
This past summer my dad had the amazing opportunity to go and speak for Lake Ann Camp out in Traverse City Michigan. I knew the opportunity ahead of time and I begged my bosses at work for a week off.
We were incredibly short-staffed at the time, and the possibility was very thin that I would actually get the time off. But by God’s grace, I got the time off, and I packed up my things and got ready to go to my favorite place on earth.
We got there and I was exhausted from the ride, (We never make the drive without a hiccup, this time around we had about a 4-hour delay due to a flat tire, and our spare tire seized up under the van.)
I ran around and caught up with all of my brothers and sisters in christ that I had known from serving at Lake Ann for multiple years, and after that, I was socially exhausted. So I went back to the cabin and rested.
And when I say I rested. I rested hard.
Because I am naturally a very introverted person I love to go and be by myself. Especially when I knowingly acknowledge that God is clearly there with me.
He brings a wave of peace into the atmosphere that clearly changes everything I want to do or think about in that timeframe.
Everything is His. And I want it that way when I’m alone with Him.
I had brought the book The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer with me, and my sole objective that week was to find rest in God’s presence. To be rekindled before I go back to the mundane life that I was living.
I went out to Pine Chapel (A beautiful forest) where I sat alone with God for hours. I turned off all technology, I think I even took off my watch and stuffed it into my bag. I didn’t want the time to be interrupted by anything.
I slowed down, and I sought out His presence, to be taught more on His character and how I was to chase after Him in the everyday life. It was bliss.
I did this for three days in the morning.
Each day was greater than the last.
One morning as I was getting ready to go out to Pine Chapel, God had whispered to me that something special was going to happen that morning. I was intrigued, so I went out expecting the unexpected.
I sat down with The Father and I asked Him. “Why am I here?”
He laid everything out on the table. He told me of the plans he has for me, my future family, and the great trials to come. He made one thing crystal clear.
“Mitchell, I want you to shepherd my sheep.”
A weight fell on me with those words. I’ve been taught my whole life about the Pastor and the role he is to play in the Church. I’ve seen it modeled poorly, but I have seen it modeled very well. But I had never seen it modeled in a way that I would want to do it.
I laid all this down to Him and he comforted me. “I want you to lead as Jesus did. Walk with My sheep as Jesus did. Live life as Jesus did. I don’t want you to lead a big fancy church. I want you to be a disciple-maker and multiplier of churches. Keep it small and intimate, be faithful to this task I have given you.”
The weight on me was lifted off. I praised God that morning and I made a covenant with Him.
That I would pursue the calling of a pastoral lifestyle from here on out till the day I die.
So here I am. 6 months later and looking back at this moment in my life I can see so much has changed.
I couldn’t be the same person I was and shepherd His sheep. I had to hate my sin, I had to be willing to give grace on top of grace. I needed to let my flesh die. I had to surrender everything to Him alone.
I had to let go of this world.
I cannot say that I am ready. But if the lord God called me to walk this path, I believe that He will empower me and move within me to bring to pass His glorious purposes.
I must go now. Until next time my friend.
-Mitchell
