Preacher Man: Part 1

How do you respond when you know you are going to be doing something for the first time in your life? This is something I have been dealing with a lot in the past few months. This is my first time living outside of Michigan, attending/working at a huge church and taking Grad. level classes. I was excited but also a little anxious when I realized all of this would be happening. And I guess that is how I usually feel for any first time thing. This past weekend was no different. At least for a little while.

On Friday I traveled 1 1/2 hours Southeast of Granger to a town called Albion (not the Michigan one). I was asked by Scott Herbert (a Pigeon native, who is now a youth pastor at Maple City Chapel in Goshen, IN) to be the guest speaker at their youth retreat. I knew I already had a lot on my plate but I felt like it was a great opportunity to continue speaking and developing that gift. So I told him I was up for the challenge. It was something new for me. I had never been the "guest speaker" before. I was always on the other side of the event as the attender or the planner. Now I was going to be main input person. A part of the memories of so many kids I may never see again. An opportunity to be used to impact the lives of kids who are searching and longing for purpose and meaning in their lives. How would God use me? What kind of impact would He make through me? What was I to expect? It was these questions and more that I started asking myself, and God, as I began my drive to Bear Lake Camp.