Well the time is nearing folks. 18 years and 53 days after I was born into this fine city I will pack my bags and head south to begin a new chapter at Virginia Tech. Scary isn't it? For one thing- I've never moved in my life. This is a new place, new people, new challenges- laundry, dorm life, CHEM 1035. Of course there are some perks- VT Football. But it'll defiantly be a critical point in my life. I can probably say that the next 4 or so years (not to mention the next 4 months) will shape who I'll be, how I'll live, and what I'll do. And for the first time ever- I'll be on my own. More or less. It's exciting. There is really only one constant through the whole process. God's gonna be there. Isn't that nuts? Think on this for a minute- God is real big- bigger than you, bigger than your house, bigger than Pittsburgh, bigger than the distance between Pittsburgh and V-Tech, or Florida, or Egypt, or Pluto. He's real big. That blows my mind. But anyway- so I've lived here and gone to MLUPC for the last 18 years and 53 days, and I've seen alot of cool stuff happen- and at the same time I feel that my time here has gotten cut short. Like I said in my testimony, for 2 years in 9th and 10th grade I was in a state of spiritual hibernation and it feels like I've only had 2 of the four years I should have had with you all. What I got instead was 2 years of transition. I was one of the interim youth. So I've been asking God what the heck he left me out to dry for 2 years for. And he replied (through my Mom) that though I may have been here in a time of transition- he was still at work both inside me and around me- I just couldn't see it coming together at the time. During my first 2 years of high school- there was a constant yearning for something- something I could never find. That spiritual yearning turned into an endless hunger to seek an ever more intimate relationship with God- through reading on my own, and heck- actually listening to sermons & talks. That hunger grows every time God reveals something new to me. And so without those two years of spiritual "drought" I would have never been at the point in my faith that I am today. That deep spiritual yearning would have never developed. Who knows where I'd be now? Who knows where I'd be in college? Wow- those two years of "drought" in High School where God "left me out to dry" actually strengthened my faith! Isn't God amazing?
God worked around me in the last two years in the Youth Group too. You all have seen it (especially in the past couple weeks). God has built this group up from the transition crew I was a part of to one of the strongest youth programs in the area. Beyond what I could have ever imagined. If you don't believe me, look through the blogs to the right and read what God did with our kids in Florida. Wow. God is Good.
So here I am. On my way out. And I'm asking God, no no screaming "What the heck! the Youth Group is finally awesome and your plucking me out now! Why now! Its so awesome now! Why couldn't I leave when it sucked! You're not hanging me out to dry again are you?!". And he answered (again, through my Mom- Mom's are awesome) that he'll be just as much at work down in Virginia as he is, and was, and will be, here in Pittsburgh. And just like he grew this youth group into something beyond imagination, he'll do something equally, if not more, amazing down at Tech. And for some unknown reason- he wants me there to see it.
So I'll miss you all, but at the same time I feel that instead of God ripping me away from everything I've ever known, he's calling me forward.
Go Hokies.
6 comments:
What a time in your life! Just so you know, you helped shape the way the group is now, so you shouldn't feel sad about leaving it, you should be proud you built something up. Your first few days at Va Tech will be weird. There will be a few thousand kids all trying to figure out where they fit in, who to go eat with and all that kind of stuff. I'm just glad that you're strong enough not to be coaxed into doing some stupid crap. By your second week there, you'll be wondering how life was like when you weren't on your own, more or less. I will miss you very much. What are you doing on Monday? I forgot the baby classes start on Tuesday night and I figured you may want to see your family on your last night in town. Let me know. Oh, be glad Tech punked out and left the Big East, cause if they had to play Pitt, they get their butts kicked, just like always.
That's some big talk for a 5-6 team Bob. But yea Monday sounds good.
Erik,
Good luck with school. there are definatly going to be times where you just want to quit and times when you are sad and time where you might be angry but you know that there all the while is Christ.
Dude, call me when you get home. I've rounded up me, Shelly and Stax. I guess we could get Phil and Cam if you wanted. KO can come too if you want him too.
yea man, i'll try my best
Hey man, we've known eachother since we were lads. Give me a call back.
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