March 7, 2011. On my way.

I'm writing this entry from the seat on my flight to Hawaii.  I've set up a 'makeshift' office so to speak and figured this would be a great time to log some thoughts about my upcoming journey, and how I feel at the present moment.  

The first word that comes to my mind?  Blessed.  Yesterday, Sunday the 6th, had such an impact on my life, more than any day I can remember in recent memory.  For several weeks I have been attending my parents' sunday school class, The Genesis Class.  This class has actually been a part of my life for a very long time.  Come to find out, it is the current longest standing class at the church.  My dad has been a teacher for the group for over twenty years and as long as I can remember, my family has been a part.  I remember camping trips with these families when I was a young child and going over to their houses as a teenager.  It truly is rare, I believe, to have an extremely close network of families that support one another as a tight knit community the way that class does.  Not until the past several years have I grown to genuinely recognize and appreciate the powerful effect this has had on my life.  Taking it to a broader scale, my family has been an active member at Church at the Crossing my entire life.  I was dedicated as a child by Pastor David Cox, baptized around the age of ten in the new sanctuary, and participated in every Dessert Theater.  This place is truly home to me.  It is the only church I've ever known as home and I'm happy it turned out that way.  It takes years to see the effects a place like this can have on you over time.  Through the good times and bad times in my life, this congregation and group of people have always been there to support and encourage me as one of their own sons.  Recently I have been honored to lead a group down to Brazil for 10 days on a mission trip.  How interesting it is to participate in this congregation in so many different roles throughout my life.  While leading the team, two of my pastors came to visit for the second half, the missions pastor Andrew Gale and senior pastor Steve Rennick.  It's hard to describe the appreciation and respect I have for these two men.  The Lord has blessed me with the opportunity of getting to know them closely in recent months and I could not be more grateful.  Being able to sit down face to face with each of them and share our stories and hearts for the Lord, missions, and the church has been invaluable.  I only wish I had taken the liberty to engage them in earlier years of my life.  These two truly are servants of Christ and I love them both dearly. 

This is why thinking of yesterday practically brings tears to my eyes when I think about it.  Tears of joy, of course.  During the second and third services, Pastor Rennick called me to the front of the church to have the church family pray over me and commission me into this next season of life.  Even as I sit here with my fingers resting on the keys, I have a degree of difficulty putting into words what that meant to me.  It is humbling.  Empowering.  Special.  Intimate.  Powerful.  Ever since those prayers, I have felt the Holy Spirit burning inside of my heart.  This church family has poured their heart out to me and I long to do the same to others.  To have a group of individuals as a collective whole stand beside you and say "We believe in you and what you do.  We love you.  We also release you into the hands of the Lord because we trust our Father and we know He has great things for you."  That is love at its truest form in my eyes.  For those of you from my church that are reading this, I say thank you from the deepest part of my heart.  I hope one day you will understand the deepening impact you have and continue to have on my life and in my walk with Jesus.  

The best part about this day is that it was only the beginning.  Later that afternoon while at my house, I had a second commissioning, this time by my family.  However, my family is slightly spread across several states.  Thank you Lord for Skype.  My parents, cousin, and a few friends stood around me while my brother Justin skyped in on the computer and my brother and sister, Jeremy and Jessica, skyped in over my iPhone.  I won't lie, it was pretty impressive.  Again, a group of people more important to me than anyone in the entire world, prayed a prayer of blessing over me and commissioned me to the work the Lord has called me to do.  My heart simply wants to burst with joy and love at the slight thought of my family.  What a journey He has set us upon these past few years!  I love to think of the relationships and friendships the Lord has cultivated amongst my family.  They are grounded in love and overflowing with respect, trust, and joy.  As my mother, who in my opinion is my personal Mother Teresa, prayed for me, the Lord began to fan the flame in my heart even more, fueling what he has already stirred.  What an intimate and precious moment when your mother, whose love for you is unrivaled by all in the world, says to the Lord "Thank you for the gift who is my son.  I entrust him to Your guidance and path. I hate to say goodbye but I love to see him follow you."  Wow!  What obedience my parents have.  I love you mom and dad.  

Later that night, I met with my house church, a group of eight friends who walk alongside each other in their pursuit of knowing Christ more.  Again, this group of people prayed over me and commissioned me into the work the Lord has called me to do.  At this point, my heart was about ready to burst.  While I listened to my best friend Matt Davey praying, there was such a sincere offering of praise in his voice.  Matt is the absolute best friend someone could ask for.  A friend who is not just there for the happy times and rejoicing, but walks and sits with you and invests and pours into you during the dark times of life.  I often look at myself as undeserving of this type of friendship, but he continually gives anyway.   

To look back at yesterday and to have the three most integral and important groups of people, my church, my family, and my friends, all pray and bless me is truly the Lord's work.  I do not doubt for one second that yesterday was a divine blessing in my life and I count it as one of the most important in my twenty five years of living.  I count myself truly as the luckiest man I know.  That may be cliche to say but I believe it with my whole heart.  Normally I would not share intimate moments of life like this with everyone, but the reason I do so is to say thank you to all of you who have played such a major role in my life.  I want you all to see what a blessing you are to me and to say thank you to Jesus and give Him glory.  I think I better understand when Paul said "I thank the Lord every time I think of you."  I am a blessed man and deserving or not, I praise the Lord for what He has done in my life through you all with the work of the Holy Spirit.  It is through you that the Lord affirms His calling in me and strengthens me.  It is very hard to leave home and at the same time exciting to see what the road ahead has in store.    

Be blessed and praise the Lord. 

Jonathan