Ten Year Anniversaries

Ten years ago, I interviewed for my job at Bud's Warehouse and Belay Enterprises.

I called my wife on the way home to tell her how excited I was about the interview. She didn't sound happy. The doctor had just sent her to the hospital because she was having serious pregnancy complications with our twins.

The next week was a blur of ups and downs. My wife spent four days on bed rest. The Belay board offered the job. The next day the twins were born six weeks early. The following 24 hours were frightening as the doctors worked to stabilize my wife's health. Thankfully, she recovered in the midst of hundreds of prayers. And ten years later, I have two healthy, if slightly over-energetic boys who are celebrating a big birthday.

In the midst of it all I learned a profound life lesson. I like to be in control. It is why I have gravitated towards an entrepreneurial career. But in entrepreneurship and in life, you will never ultimately be in control. And if you work in an urban ministry, you will quickly discover how much control is an illusion in the chaos of everyday urban life.

But you also learn that God is supreme over the chaos. Faith is about trusting that God is bigger than the problem facing you. Faith promises that the bigger story of God conquering death on the cross through Jesus’ resurrection changes the meaning of the day to day stories of our lives. Faith ensures that Jesus’ work of transforming a world broken by sin continues 2000 years later in the loving actions of his believers. God takes the good and makes it better and God takes the bad and transforms it for the good of his kingdom. It is Paul’s words in Romans 8:28: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Ten years later, I am thankful that God provided a vivid lesson on faith at the start of my ministry. I am also thankful for my wife, my family and my time at Belay Enterprises.