I Can't Take It For Granted

I know this is a VIDEO journal...but I just felt like writing a bit tonight rather than making a video about this.

There are some times in life where you look back at a time in your life & realize, "Man, I shouldn't have taken that for granted. That was good...that was special...I should have realized what I had when I had it." You might be thinking back when you were a 7 year old without any bills, no responsibilities...life's just baseball & video games! Pretty sweet life. But at the time, you really didn't understand what you had then.

I'm writing out my thoughts tonight b/c I think I realize what I've got in the friends I have & church I serve in...even now. And I'm just thinking - Lord, what a blessing that you would give me this insight even while in the midst of the blessing!

I love Kirby Church. I love almost everything about Kirby Church.

I know what you're thinking - "Tommy, you're still in the honeymoon stage of ministry." The best part about it is that we're not still in the honeymoon stage - I remember the Sunday that ended! :) We've been here almost 4 years now, almost 3 times LONGER than most youth pastors stay at one church. And I feel like we're just getting started!

Keep in mind, I know we aren’t perfect, so neither is our church. But there are just some things that I realize that I have that I CANNOT take for granted.

Like how humble the serving team is on Sunday mornings..they're willing to do ANYTHING for the Kingdom of God!

Like how hard the Creative Planning Team works to plan & serve so that we have the best services we can.

Like how people pray for our staff backstage as Don leads worship or Pastor preaches during both services.

Like how our Youth Staff lets me lead and preach and cast vision.

Like how the students support the activities, events, & ideas of our church.

Like how blessed I am to minister alongside 2 of the best pastors I've ever met.

Like how many friends I could call RIGHT NOW with a problem & they would be here...no questions asked.

This is just the beginning of what I love about our church.

I've known this for a while but it all really came clear to me this past weekend when we had the biggest Youth Staff meeting yet. Vision-casting. Change. Cutting things that people love. Creating things that our leaders haven't seen yet. That's tough to swallow as a Youth Staff, I'm sure.

However, several of them said something during the meeting that reminded me what God's told me often, "Don't take it for granted Tommy. You gotta stay close to Me here...listen to Me b/c they will follow if you do." After we talked for an hour or so about the direction we're going in 2009, I asked, "Are you overwhelmed?" And they said honestly, "A little," and here's the rest..."but...we...trust...you. We wouldn't follow you if we didn't trust you."

That's...awesome! Not b/c they follow blindly, but b/c they trust the God-given vision even if they can't see the end results yet. They simply have faith in where God's taking us and the leader that they feel like God has put in place over them. That alone will fire a pastor up to lead & to work hard to be worthy of that calling.

Anyway, Kirby, it’s fun to be a pastor at your church! Love ya'll more than you know - I look forward to all this year has for us!