God Wastes Nothing

As most of you know when I was 23 I was diagnosed with WPW (Wolfe-Parkinson White). A heart condition that creates extra pathways in your heart and can cause your heart to skip beats, speed up unannounced, and more. Most of the WPW cases are never diagnosed, because it's typically not too bad of a condition. But, of course, I'm not MOST people. Through a course of surgeries, being shocked on the table 3 times, heart kept beating through a catheter, my AV Node being blocked off, and spending a night in CCU, as well as a pacemaker being implanted... I gave my heart back to Jesus, in a hospital and invited Him to take me where He wanted. Ministry it was. (This is just a portion of my testimony)

I spent the next 5 years in youth ministry, watching God take me higher, change more lives, and increase my walk with Him in ways I could never have actually imagined. Then God called me to begin a church in Columbia, SC... Radiate Church. The church that is changing lives daily. The church that is shaking a city. The church that is growing leaps and bounds each week...in every way possible. The church that doesn't care as much about "religious correctness" or "political correctness" as much as we do "loving God and others". The church that changed my life...and hundreds of others.

A few months ago I had to go back to my cardiologist due to some a-typical symptoms. After some tests and discussions... what I thought was "fixed" and "taken care of" for the past 8 years, had returned. I was informed I'd developed Cardiomyopathy (in easy terms: basically very early heart failure) due to my pacemaker pacing my heart 100% of the time. My blood flow rate in my heart had dropped, over the past few years, to right around 40%, the normal healthy person is right on 60%. I had experienced symptoms for a little over a year, and had just pushed through because I thought they were "just because I had a heart issue".

My energy level had dropped. My stamina was lessening. All while I was actually getting healthier in my life. After discussion it was determined everything could be reversed with a surgery, of a 3rd wire added to my heart muscle, and a new pacemaker/technology that will reverse it back to 60%, and "prolong my life". July 6 is the day that I pray that I will get back to normal. After a several week layout I'm told I'll be able to see a difference "quickly". Until then I have to "take it easy and relax" when I feel my heart and my energy level do something abnormal. Something that's difficult for me to do.

Here's why I write this (and it has NOTHING to do with you feeling sorry for me) - that recent diagnosis ran a gambit of emotions in me. Anger, fear, hurt, confusion, sadness, fear, death, uncertainty, and did I say fear? Why fear? You sit in a doctor's office at 31 years old, thinking your heart issues were controlled and hear that you have early heart failure. I have a growing church to lead, kids to love, a wife to adore, a family to make proud, and a vision to fulfill. I don't have time to "take it easy and relax", and I sure don't have time to be dealing with early heart failure!

Then God broke the emotions with a word... "No one knows how much time they have left. You don't know how much time you really have left. What are you going to do to make the most of what you know you have in front of you?" Reality check much? ABSOLUTELY!

As we argue about pieces of fabric we call flags. As we argue about the right to marry whomever we want. As we argue about denominational differences/beliefs and as we fight back and forth about whether or not we should drink alcohol to be saved... I've realized something - We don't have time for that!?

Now that I've offended you let me explain. In Matthew 28 Jesus gives a going away command. "Go into all the nations and make disciples. Baptizing them in the Father, The Son, and the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to obey all that I command." Now I don't know about you but I've heard/read that my entire life but it became real to me. Why? Because it doesn't tell me one thing about walking around and yelling at everyone until they agree with me. It tells me to make disciples - EVERYWHERE I GO! I make a disciple by investing in them and loving them - EVERYWHERE I GO! That means when I disagree or agree. When I like them and when I don't.

Baptize means to "submerge into" - so I am to SUBMERGE them into the love of the Father, the forgiveness of the Son, and the guidance/power of the Holy Spirit - EVERYWHERE I GO! And to teach them to obey all that He commands means that I show them what it looks like - EVERYWHERE I GO! And here's the kicker... none of what's going on in this world is a surprise to God.

Here's where I'm going. I don't know how much time I have left on this earth. I'm told that the surgery will prolong my life - I believe the doctors when they say that, but they aren't God. And reality check for you too... You don't know how much time you have left either! My concern isn't you agreeing with me or liking me anymore. My concern isn't fulfilling people's expectations or thoughts of me. My concern is one thing... LOVE PEOPLE TO JESUS AND LET HIM FIGURE OUT THE REST! I'm determined to SHAKE MY CITY by introducing as many as possible to the life God intended. If that offends you, you'll be ok I promise. But understand something... I love you! But more importantly, Jesus loves you - and because of that - we will ALL love Him and others EVERYWHERE we go!

And this is why I'm 100% certain... God never fastest a thing! He always takes what feels like the end for us, and makes it the beginning of something else! Join me... Let's shake this city and love people to Jesus!