Growth.
It’s a small word with a lot of meaning and just budding with potential. When I think of growth, I think of infants and toddlers. I think of 6th graders preparing to make the jump from rec league to school sponsored sports. I think of high school graduates preparing to move out from mom and dad’s house and start taking personal responsibility for large decisions (my friend Val would call this “adulting”). I would even think of me at this time last January, preparing to go to training camp in June in order to launch in August on a trip that was sure to alter the trajectory of my life. Leaving everything behind and following the Lord, just me with 50lbs of my favorite things on my back, and 55 strangers, ready to proclaim ONE name to all the nations. When I think of ‘growth’ that’s what I think of. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve experienced all of those milestones and I have definitely experienced growth, but the Lord has told me that those experiences are nothing compared to the growth that I am going to experience in 2017!
Naturally, 2017 will begin where 2016 ended. In December at J-squad’s month 4 debrief, I was asked to be a squad leader for J-squad. When we launched in August, we left with three incredible squad leaders. They had all previously been on the race before and they were tasked with leading the squad while on the field for the first leg of our race, encouraging us and exemplifying to us what it meant to live on mission. They stayed with us for the first five months, so they left the field New Year’s Eve. During our debrief at the end of month 4 they asked three people on our squad to take their place and begin to lead this God-fearing squad of 50+ young people. When someone presents something this large, it’s easy to retreat and think of all the reasons why I’m incapable and unprepared, but the Lord doesn’t ask us to be timid and He did not give us a spirit of fear. I said ‘yes’ and the month of December consisted of me not having a ‘ministry host’ or a consistent schedule. Instead, it looked like me learning policy and procedure and how to manage a spreadsheet and keep up with my own finances. It looked like me visiting two different teams in two different cities with a couple more days of training sandwiched in between. It looked like me riding a bus 6+ hours on Christmas Eve. It looked like the Lord preparing me to be launched into unprecedented growth in 2017!
I didn’t make a ‘New Year’s Resolution’, but I did ask the Lord to speak over me what 2017 would look like. Growth isn’t always pretty and if I’ve learned anything from my middle school days, I know there are going to be some very awkward and embarrassing moments along the way. Bottom line is at the end of 2017, I’m going to look a lot more like Jesus than I do right now, and that’s worth every bit of discomfort that comes from growth. I truly believe that the Lord wants 2017 to be the greatest year ever. He wants this year to be ‘your year’ and for you to thrive. What’s holding you back from taking the next step in your faith? What’s holding you back from attending a bible study? What’s holding you back from STARTING a weekly bible study? What’s holding you back from getting involved in your local church and community? Has God given you a vision or passion that you aren’t acting on? Why? God is for you and He wants you to succeed! Trust Him and you WILL succeed! I promise! 100% guarantee! But keep in mind that success in God’s eyes often looks like failure to us. Keep your faith and stay the course! 2017 is going to be your comeback year!! A year of growth and a year of greater intimacy with Him!
I love you all!
Matt
