Down to it. What I have been learning in a very real, very meaningful way over the last few months is that each and every moment of our lives is an opportunity for us to trust in the goodness of God. By “goodness of God” I mean that He loves us and I have no clue how. More on that the “goodness of God” means later (see C.S. Lewis’ “The Problem of Pain” Ch. 3 for more). What it means to trust in the goodness of God for me right now is this:

The next phase of my life will be spent teaching, pastoring, preaching, or learning how to do those things better in the following location: right where I am, the Czech Republic, China, Spain, any one of a smattering of communities new to me across the United States, seminary, or itinerant preaching. Also, don’t forget to account for variable change.

So today I was a little fried about trying to imagine what the next step may be. After requesting that my fellow staff members at church pray for wisdom and discernment, and then venting for about 20 minutes to a close friend, I finally came to the point where I took it to God in prayer. (this is backwards and frankly stupid, but real).

I have been learning to pray with child-like faith. Today that child was a little girl. With my face on the floor, a pouty lip and erratic kicking of the legs I asked God the question. “Where do you want me?”

If you have ever asked this question you may at first, like me, be proud of yourself for making yourself available to God. This is a good thing, but for me it contains some pride. Just because I am talented, available, and stunningly good looking doesn’t mean that God has to want me to do anything for him. Where did I get this entitlement from?

God’s answer, which I barely heard through my erupting case of LGS, was humbling and loving at the same time.

“Right here, in My arms.”

Please pray that my heart would be open, warm, and vulnerable enough with God to be able to be right where he wants me. However and whenever that may be.

May the Lord’s will be done,

CWillz

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

This verse was the focus of a book that an informal group of friends and I read in high school called The God Chasers by Tommy Tenny.  We read the book together, prayed for each other, served our community, had fun (at times way too much).  This was just one of the ways that God got a hold of a group of us as young people in Columbus, IN.

Often this motley crew would hang out or meet without specific agenda, sometimes just to pray for each other, people close to us, our city, our country, our families, against spiritual attacks.  We longed to see God come and have His way.  We also spent time studying the Bible and digging into things that were important to us.

Some of our prayers were answered immediately, others seemed to be ignored.  From what I can remember, many of mine got answered in a much better way than what I asked for.

I remember several of our leaders in the various ministries that we were involved in would often tell us that they really thought that God was going to use our generation of young people in big ways.  In those few years, we saw many of our friends come to follow Jesus for the first time — all to the glory of God. 

Today I think about where that group is and what God is doing with us.  I rejoice that many of us our still about the business of the Kingdom, many of us in some form of ministry.  Here is where a few of us from this group are serving today:

John Bundick is Youth Director @ Hartford City UMC.  He has an iPhone and pushes students to love without ceasing.

Jon Boriss is a doing a creative arts internship @ 2|42 Community Church in where he claims to work with the best middle and high school students ever in Whitmore Lake, MI.

Tim Hollowell teaches at John Marshall Community High School (IPS), in Indianapolis.

Lindsey Bodine continues to love students at North View Assembly of God in Columbus, IN.

Katie Proctor is Youth Director @ Faith Luthern Church in Andover, MA.

Many of our friends continue to faithfully seek God and love others in their churches, communities, and online.

I am very happy to be a part of a generation of people who started as young people and are now spending our lives advancing the Kingdom by leading and loving others. 

On behalf of all of those mentioned here and the countless others, thank you to all of our youth workers, pastors, volunteers and parents.  Every time you hosted a club, youth group, donated, prayed for us, took phone calls, or encouraged us you were teaching us how to love and live. 

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

A note to all of us:  Keep going.  It is worth it.

May the Lord’s will be done,

CWillz

Where should it go? Where do you give to? How do I get there? What are the biggest needs?

Comment so we can spotlight some places that could use it.

I am disturbed by the movie, because I know that it represents something true. Arms dealers or traffickers exist, but only because of war. Why does war exist?

I came back to my room and started praying. Something like this is what came out of me:

“I have seen innocent blood shed, even though it is a movie, this is my world. Why, God? Jesus, is this the “year of the Lord’s favor?”

Over the weekend I talked at our Spring Christian Ed retreat about the Exodus and the movement of God in the life of the individual and in societies. During that talk I presented the way Jesus began his ministry, which was by reading this in a synagogue in Capernum:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
Because He has anointed me
To Preach the Good News to the poor
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
To release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Over the summer, I was praying about hunger. I asked God why it existed, I dared to ask God why He would let it happen

It is hard to describe, but the answer to that prayer was sorrowful.
“My children go hungry because my other children let them.”
Mother Theresa must have listened to the same voice for she said, “As long as there are empty mouths in the world, the Eucharist is incomplete.”

God has and will give his family more than enough. We just wont share. We have our own peace, but will not share.

Why do I go through a day and not ask where the clothes that cover my flesh come from, who worked to make them? How can I drink my coffee without thinking of who picked it, and whether or not they can live off the wages they earned? Why do I believe the lie that it is not my responsibility to make sure those people are getting what they deserve?

When have we given enough? When can we feel good about ourselves? When we all have enough, when we all have peace, when God is feared.