Well here we are on December 31, 2009 and the end another decade of life. And wow, what a 10 years it has been. I am going to attempt to explain the last ten years and how they have been life changing and the experiences that they have held.
So to start lets go back to December 31, 1999, I was a 12 year- old 6th grader at Homewood Middle School. I was one of those kids who did not adjust well to middle school. I was the kid who could not work my locker, who had a hard time getting to know people, and just all around did not like it too much. In other words I did not like and did not fit in too well at all. You will see at the end of the story how all this fits into life now. But the spring of 6th grade year and the fall of 7th grade year, 2000, brought on some major changes into my life that have impacted me for the rest of my life. These 2 things are, first my starting to be part of Homewood football at the middle school level and varsity in the spring of 2000, and second is the youth group at Dawson in 7th grade in the fall of 2000. So 2000, 9 years ago, is where this story really begins to unfold and how the experiences of this last decade have been so great and impacted my life.
As I said the spring of 2000 marked the start of my time with Homewood football. In the fall of 6th grade I became a manger for the football team. Something that at the time that I got picked on for and teased about but I didn’t care I stuck it out and in the fall of 2000 found out just how great this part of my life would be. That’s when I was ask if I wanted to work with the varsity football team for the playoffs, this would end up being the year that Homewood won state in a 5 over time game, that still stands as the longest state championship game played in the history of Alabama high school football. I will save the details for another post in August about what this has led too. But I will say this much about this area of my life it was been something that has taught me a lot and allowed me have experiences that I would not have had with out being a part of it and I look forward to this year and my 10th season.
The other big thing and I guess the biggest was starting in the youth ministry in the fall of 2000 as a 7th grader. This is where the story of change over the last 9 years really takes place. As a 7th and 8th grader I was active in the youth group when on trips and all the stuff at church. I almost hate to say this but I really didn’t enjoy the youth group in middle school (if you want reasons I will tell you person to person, nothing I willing to publish). But I would have never thought then that I would severing with middle school kids in the youth group but I also did not know what the next 10 years would hold for me.
The next few years would be high school, oh that fun time in life that I loved so much. These were the years where I really learned the most about myself and how to stick to who I am and not change to be accepted by others, and when I found of love of serving others. It was also in this time I first felt like I was called to ministry. As the years of high school and college have gone on I have found that my passion and love is middle school kids.
Remember how this story started about the kid who really did not fit in, at Homewood Middle School. Well this is how that story ends, 10 years latter. I can say that looking back over the past 10 years, I can see how God has worked through all the events of my life to get me to this point. How being the “un-cool” kid led to the kid who wanted to be cool. To finally realizing the importance of just being who I am and sticking to what my passion is. Coming to this point allowed me to be able to truly take up Gods calling on my life and come to realize where I am too serve. That place has turned out to be serving in middle school ministry of all places, that kind nerdy kid now gets to hang out with the cool kids. I think this is best summed up this quote from the book Middle School Ministry by Mark Oestreicher and Scott Rubin. “ I’m so moved by how God has opened my eyes and softened my heart though these ragtag misfits. And what’s amazing is that I’ve discovered that I’m actually the misfit and they have taken me in.” Ten years ago I would have never guessed that I would working with middle school kids, really 10 years ago tonight I was already ready to be done with middle school for life. Well turns out God has a sense of humor, and that he used the 10 years since was there age to give me love and passion for them.
Happy New Year 2010!
