Here’s another blog to give you a better idea of the World Racer known as Matt Peters. The days are ticking away and it’s getting more and more exciting to think about the journey in front of me. If you have read my bio on the link Who is Matt?? to the left, you will get an overview of who I am. Here is more of the heart of Matt as I lead up to the World Race:
When I was baptised in 2001, my “life verse” was Jerimiah 29:11.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
This was the verse I hung onto and saw come to life as I strived to follow God of what I understood following Him meant. Later on I would realize that the Lord has called me to more than this idea of that God will just bless for no reason….
A New Beginning:
In the fall of 2002 I was working in a book factory. I was young, well trained, and a hard worker. I was on a shift work job, raise a family, and retire financially ahead kind of mentality. After a year of this lifestyle I got bored. Something within me was unsettled. There had to be more to this life than working, going to church and dying. I felt I hadn’t lived, I hadn’t done something life changing. I was frustrated being comfortable. In the fall of 2003 I took a leap of faith and decided to take a one year break and do something different. I was enrolled in CMU’s Outtatown Program. I joined 35 other young men and women just like myself and we studied, explored, served, and matured as we travelled through western Canada and Guatemala. I got the radical year I was needing. I realized that life was more than living and dying but rather an experience. This year that I was hoping to “take off” now fueled a fire in my heart and soul that would inspire alot of new things for me!
I had seen and experienced the 3rd world in a way that would shape my thinking and understanding of what life was supposed to be. I saw it to be about relationships, serving others, and living simply. Life was meant to be lived as a ministry and not be lived with a set time for ministry. And so when I returned from Central America I took a leap of faith and decided to serve in Camp Ministry for the summer. My wage was minimal and the work days were long. But I knew this was where God wanted me. This summer long position took me on a 4 year journey. These next 4 years would take me on a roller coaster ride that I cannot see my life being the same without. I have discovered more about myself and what God has called me to be and do than ever before. I was hired on as the Maintenance Assistant and a year later I was working as the Outdoor Ed Director. I was blessed with the oppertunity to help develop a summer Camp Wilderness Program.
I loved this new road that I was on. It was a huge change from the boring “work force” mentality that I was almost sucked into, yet I was still struggling. You see, I got good at what I did. I realized how valuable I had become in the circles that I was a part of. I felt the love, the attention, the praise I got. As the years passed, I became cocky, I became prideful. God was blessing me huge with amazing oppertunities and expereinces. But once again I had a reality check. I wasn’t doing ministry anymore, I was fueling a want for more “me”. Just before my last summer at camp (2007) I got down on my knees and asked God to take my selfishness away. I asked for redemption and peace in my heart. I’ve never felt that before in my life. An overwhelming passion arose from my soul that I knew was beyond me. I was accepted into the World Race and had to now prepare for that never mind run the summer program. Something in my heart clicked and I purposely chose every single day to serve and not be served. I put my young fellow staff first and gave them oppertunities I wouldn’t have dreamed of a year prior. This was about them. This was about a future that I knew didn’t have me in it for the summer of ’08. God totally took all the pride, all the greed, and all of the stress away once I lay it all before Him. Now as I’m officially done at Camp Nutimik, I can look back and know that what the Lord has done through me in the past 4 years can live on. It doesn’t die with me leaving, and it doesn’t have a huge dirty stain of pride and greed on it!!
So how does this all fit in?
Well, last year I read through Jeremiah once again as I was getting my bearings on what that scripture meant to me. As I kept reading after 29:11 it all made sense to me:
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.”
This was 100% where I was at. I came to a point of repentance and longing for the Lord that he listened to my cries. He knew where He was taking me and it took a long time for me to figure it out. I have to come to Him full heartedly and truly seek Him. I do it on a daily basis and man what a life! Everyday is a new one and everyday is more exciting than the last. God has indeed brought me out of captivity and set me free. Can I get an AMEN!!
So now this year is at hand…The World Race. I will be striving for this to be an intentional missional year. This year will be a time for questions, expereinces, and reflections. It will be tough, and it will be a challenge, but this is where I need to be. Just like Jeremiah writes, God will listen to those who come before Him full heartedly and truly seek Him in all they do!
Here is a promo video that I had made before I left the camp for this coming summer. Enjoy!
