LEAD ME

'Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. '

Philippians 4:6-7

Have you ever been in a waiting period? You know what I'm talking about, where you are anxiously waiting for your "BIG BREAK." Whether it's that business or dream you are needing to start or maybe just trying to wait on that phone call from one of the many jobs you applied for, the fact is that, waiting can be difficult, especially when you know God has spoken to you about a specific thing that you are waiting to happen. Growing up in church I always felt a great calling on my life. It wasn't until I was 15 years old that the calling turned into a reality for me when I preached my first message. It was invigorating and terrible all at the same time. My heart was pumping so fast because I was just hoping to do well and speak clearly. I couldn't help but to imagine it going down the drain and what the worst case scenario would be. Then I started having flash backs to Bugs Bunny cartoons and him having tomatoes thrown at his face when he was on stage. I just knew that was going to be the fate for me. As I completed my message, I was overwhelmed by the grace everyone showed me. I knew it was rough due to the constant stuttering and perspiration on my hands but somehow the people there, looked past that and gave me comfort in knowing that someone got something out of it. I think we all want to do our best in anything that we do, I mean I haven't met one person, so far, that wakes up in the morning and says, "Today I'm not going to try or give my best". Since I started in ministry, I have always had a hunger to grow and get better. Whether it was my communication skills, people skills, or just learning new strategies and processes, I have always found myself in a room with people that are "doing" what I wanted to do. I wanted to learn and soak up as much as possible. Even playing sports in school I wanted to be the very best at whatever position or sport I was playing, except for hockey because it doesn't snow in Alabama and I never was much of a skater.

I am borderline obsessed with the game of basketball. I played a lot growing up in school, but really wasn't good enough to start or get substantial playing time, but that did not stop my unwavering dedication to getting better. Every time the park was open, I would go practice and work on my jump shot, run through dribbling drills, and occasionally jump in the dreaded pick-up games. This was my chance to show my peers what I had been working on. I may not have had what it took on the skill side, but you can bet I was the one on the bench "coaching" everyone up and getting loud at practice. I remember when my parents finally installed a goal into our backyard on a patch of dead grass. Now it wasn't perfect, but it was mine. I would stay out until I could barely see the ball in the night sky and practice on the moves I saw on ESPN the night before. I would make up fake scenarios in my head and would have a mental countdown clock in the 4th quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Finals. 3...2...1 "EHHHHHHHHHH" and I would shoot at the buzzer. Some would go in and some would miss. There was nothing like being on the court with a full team though. In the game of basketball, there are 5 positions that make up each team on the floor. Each position has a certain role that they have to execute in order to get the most successful result on both offense and defense. The positions are as follows, point guard (running the plays and getting people into position), shooting guard (normally the top scorer on the team), Small Forward (setting picks, and playing defense), Power Forward (known for getting down low and vicious slam dunks), and the Center (biggest guy on team and getting rebounds etc). Each position is vital in how well you do in the win and loss column. Through out my life and growing into my leadership, I have learned a lot of lessons that I think are essential in getting the most out of your potential. I have broken them down into 5 positions, that as you realize the effect these have, it will begin to help you grow into the person you were meant to be:

1. Position = Power - No matter what position you find yourself in today, you have access to the power and authority that has been given to us through Jesus. That means that no matter what thoughts, labels, etc try to come toward you, all you have to do is speak with power. God has you right where he wants you to be, so be looking for Him in every single moment. He came to Elijah in a still small voice, not the fire, wind, or an earthquake. He whispers because He is close to you. So trust in him and keep going. (1 Kings 19:9-18)

2. Narrow the focus - It is easy to fall into what I like to call the "cookie jar" trap. We love to have our hands in everything that we possibly can, but can I be honest with you? STOP! It is not healthy for you or the ones around you to be so involved in so many things. It's ok to have a healthy "NO". Don't over commit and under perform. This will ultimately lead to burnout and bitterness toward what you are trying to accomplish. Bring people along and train them up and delegate! Find that one thing you can do with excellence and then allow others to have some responsibility.

3. Take it easy on yourself - If you are anything like me, I am super hard on myself, even when the mistakes I make are tiny in comparison to most of the things I do. I have learned that sometimes the expectations you set for yourself are not the ones that are necessarily laid out for you, and we look at someone else's success and use that as our measuring stick. It is ok to not have all the answers and knowledge. Don't let your failure define you. If you don't know how to fail well, then you won't appreciate the success when it comes. Take your failure and use it to learn and turn it into an advantage. The only "L's" that we take are learning experiences.

4. It really isn't that serious - A lot of the times we can be a little too serious. Don't get me wrong I am all about working hard and producing everything with excellence, but what's the point of baking a cake if you can't stop and enjoy it once it's finished? All the cracking of the eggs, mixing the flour, developing the icing, and the heat of the oven is great but nothing beats the joy of having the cake and icing hit your taste buds. I love the term work hard, play hard because there is a lot of truth to it. Your life can't afford you taking work so seriously without any type of reward (family time, vacation, reading a good book, etc.) attached to it. There is freedom in balancing the two.

5. Become a sponge - Last but not least, it is time for you to get your Spongebob Squarepants on. Some of the most productive things I have been a part of, all came from people who have went before me. I think it is a vital part to gain wisdom from people and pioneers in the fields we want to be in. Make sure to take the time out and send emails, read books, assess others, and ask questions. This will show others that you are willing to do whatever it takes to be the best you can be, and will ultimately lead to a level of respect. When you become a sponge, your perspective will shift and allows you to see things that you normally would be oblivious to otherwise.

I hope these 5 things will be fruitful for you and your journey. Everything that has been said, is all from experience that I had to walk through myself. I am grateful for these experiences because now it allows me to be more productive and also enjoy where I am at, while striving to be where I want to be. I may not be where I want to be, but thanks be to God, I am not who I use to be!