Let see… tallish, darkish, rather hairy, and youngish pretty much sum up the physical side of things. As for my roots, at any given point in my life, God has been right there pursuing me. I grew up in a Christ loving home. Both my parents taught at the private Christian school I attended throughout high school. At some point I guess you could say I began to resent religion. I was sick of going to church, and sick of listening to teachers talk about religion everyday at my school. Growing up in Utah amidst a rather intentionally legalistic religion did not exactly help my apathetic view of Christianity either. It wasn’t until a new youth pastor, Andy Marshall, took the time to invest in me, and that I was introduced to an actual relationship with my Savior. To this day He continues to speak truth into my life.
After having a seed planted, slowly but surely my life began transforming. At the end of my senior year, I had the opportunity to go to Thailand on a short term mission trip. After the trip I knew that God had given me a heart for ministering in other cultures and for traveling. I spent the first two years of college wishing to escape my home town of Salt Lake City; to somewhere I would feel I could be significant and used by the Lord. I followed several opportunities to leave Salt Lake, but after I had done all that I needed to leave I felt the Lord asking me to stay.
Looking back, the Lord had plans for me. There wereso many experiences that had I followed my own path, I would have missed those plans, to say the least. Patience is something that I have had to learn as my plans do not always match up with the Lord’s. From being involved in a church plant, to leading worship with other college students, God has been intensely working on me these last few years. In the last six months in particular I feel like I am finally experiencing the relationship that Christ has been offering me my whole life, however only now have I come to His throne. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13).” For the first time, the Lord has my heart. I can’t even begin to describe the peace He has given me at a time when the decisions I make now affect everything I may do in life. I know God has always been intensely pursuing me; but it’s only recently that I have started to return the favor. I still do not know my path, but I have come to terms with that; as long as I continue getting to know my Guide.
