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Afraid of the Dark

I can remember was I was young, I used to watch Mister Rogers every day.  Growing up as an only child I had friends, but none like Fred Rogers… He was my bestie. 



Mister Rogers had a way of explaining things that always made sense to me.  He always had a smile on his face and approached every situation with a calm spirit.  Every episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was so magical and entertaining.  I learned about musical instruments, that men walked on the moon, how M&M’s were made, and… that I shouldn’t be afraid of the dark.

On that day, Mister Rogers turned off the lights in the studio and continued talking to the children at home. He told us that even though it was dark, everything was just the same as it was when the lights were on, when everything was seen.  It’s 30 years later and this still makes so much sense to me.

Next week I will leave my current position at the bank and begin working full-time at NorthStar Church.  I’ve gotten so excited about this and can hardly wait to make the transition.  I’m leaving a life that was fueled by promotions, raises, and job performance - I’m headed into a life of simplicity, sacrifice and the unknown.  It’s like venturing out in the dark.  I don’t know if God has me at NorthStar for the rest of my life or just for a season but I’ve given him all control of my job, my family, and my future. 

Through all of this, it’s great to have a loving family, and most of all a supportive wife.  In July, Lana and I will have been married for 14 years, and through all of those years she has supported my every decision with faith that I am in God’s will while leading our family.  I am so thankful to have her to lean on when times are tough; to give me her honest opinion, to keep me on track.  Many hopes and dreams she had for our family are now changing as well.  Please take a minute to hear from her in her own words:

From The Land of Lentz: “But I’m afraid of the dark…”

While typing this, God reminded me of this scripture:



Isaiah 42:16 :  I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.


These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.


Nothing has changed; even though I cannot see where God is taking me, HE is still in control… I will not be afraid of the dark. 

Amen!

White Flag

So, as I had mentioned (read Introduction first), changes are coming to my life. Yes, we already have three kids and for those of you who know me, NO, we’re not pregnant again! In 2005, after almost a year being the worship leader at my church, I felt that something wasn’t right. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I felt that I needed to make myself available to whatever God had in store for me. That August, my wife and I left the church that I called home to search for what God was wanting in our lives. Little did I know that He was orchestrating something awesome and I was going to be part of it.

In October, I received an email from the Associational Missions Director for our county and he wanted to meet with me, along with some former band mates. We ate lunch at a local deli and he presented the plans for a new church called NorthStar… I was awestruck! Everything about this new church concept felt right. Right then and there, I told our AMD that I was all in and couldn’t wait to get started. He told us that there was a pastor in the area that had the same vision, dream and calling as us and he would be leading this new church. Wow… the plan was coming together.

Fast forwarding to 2011 again, after serving as Worship Leader for NorthStar Church on a volunteer and part-time basis for 5 years, God has made it possible for me to serve full-time doing what I love most. That’s great…Right? Sure it is! I’m totally geeked about it… and just a little bit scared to death too.

Everything I know is about to change. It looks like it will be June 1st when I will make the change to “full-time ministry”. I wanted to do the right thing at work and not shock them with a two week notice, so I gave them an 8 week notice. That oughta be sufficient don’t ya think? It was my option to set that date, partially to do the “right thing”, but also because I figured that after 8 weeks I would give God a little more time to think about it too in case he had second thoughts. Just kidding of course!

People have asked me for several years if I would ever want to be a full-time worship leader, and I’ve always said, sure! However, I never thought that it would come to be, so I didn’t really ever give it much more thought. But now, I find myself testing my faith. Can I really be about to do something this radical?

A question that has been on my heart for a long time is, what does it mean to be sold out to God? What does it look like when God has control of your life? How do I truly trust God? The truth is, when you start giving God the little things in your life, He wants more and more.


The White Flag has been raised… I surrender.

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