I took little man to his crib the other night and but before I put him down I decided to spend a few minutes with him just rocking him and praying over him. I honestly could not repeat the prayer but I soon found myself staring into a pair of big brown eyes.
To be honest I was lost in that moment. He didn’t look away, he didn’t even blink, he just stared right at me and I my heart melted right there. There is NOTHING that pleases a father more than when he has the undivided attention of his child. In those few moments I felt SO connected with him.
Walking out of his room up the steps I felt the Lord whisper to me, “Hey, that is what I want with you! Not some ritual, but an intimate connection.”
From time to time I get caught up in “having a quiet time” just to say I had one? Sure, a verse or two will stand out to me but if I am not careful I will forget that my time with God is not about a spiritual to do list, it is about a connection a connection that I need and God wants.
God doesn’t want our lip service He wants our undivided attention. Let’s be honest this is SO hard in today’s society. Everything competes with our time with Him, especially technology. I just know that what I experienced with my son was real, and it is being used in my life to show me that I need to take my walk with Him to the next level!
In Luke 5:16 the Bible says that Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed, [rough] translation, He got alone and locked eyes with the Father! We see this again in Mark 1:35 and the direct result was direction and power. Even in His darkest hour (cf. Matthew 26:36-45) we see Him praying one of the most unselfish ever recorded in history. Translation, when we lock eyes with the Father there is nothing that we are not willing to do for Him!
My prayer lately has been that I will have my eyes locked, focused on Him! It blows my mind that He wants that and I know I need it! I never want to merely offer God lip service, He knows my heart. My desire is to lock eyes with Him and then to do whatever He asks.
The only thing constant in my family’s life is change. Over the last 3 years of my life my family and I have experienced immense change in our life.
So what’s involved in changing something up?
C = Calculation
If a change is going to be made I believe some time must be spent investigating the possible outcomes that will be associated with it. Some of the biggest mistakes I’ve made as a leader have been changing something without thinking it through.
H = Hesitation
When it comes to changing something that we’ve established…we always hesitate. Don’t get me wrong, I think pausing before making the change is healthy…however, when hesitation turns into an excuse to delay the obvious…problems WILL occur.
A = Anticipate Resistance
The very first reaction to change will always be some sort of resistance. As I leader I am coming more and more to understand that the first question a person runs through their mind when change is introduced is, “How is thing going to impact me?” And…if they detect that it may impact them in any negative sort of way…their natural tendency is to resist.
N = Necessary
Change is SO necessary! That statement was EASY to accept when we first began because we were changing the ways that other people did things; however, in the past couple of years or so it has become a sobering reality that the changes that are necessary are things we once thought of as edgy and innovative…which ISN’T easy…but, like I said…is necessary.
G = God Factor
What changes are God telling you to make? This could be personal…or even church wide. I know that He’s been speaking into me very directly lately and telling me some personal changes that I need to make in regards to the ways I lead myself and His church. God isn’t a dull God…and so following Him should never be either. He isn’t telling me the “why’s” right now…just the “what’s”…and getting comfortable with that has been an adjustment…but a good one!
E = Expectation
Whenever God leads us to change–we can expect fruit to come out of it. (See John 15:4-5) I have found myself getting way to nervous in the past when God leads me to change something when, in reality, I have NEVER screwed anything up by simply being completely obedient to Him–even when that includes MAJOR change.
That being said, I wanted to tell you of the upcoming changes in the Nelson family. I so am happy and overwhelmed to inform you all that I have accepted the 2 year Residency/ Internship at Concord Baptist Church (CBC) in Jefferson City, MO. This will be an amazing opportunity for me as I will have the opportunity to learn from someone who has been in a Senior Leadership position for over 20 years and is willing to train me along with Concord’s wonderful staff. I will also begin working toward my 1st Masters degree while we are there. This all begins at the beginning of June, which means that our family will be moving in a very short 7 weeks (or so). Though I will miss the restaurant life I am really looking forward to a new rhythm for our family, like being home at least some nights of the week. Furthermore, it will difficult to leave our church family at Blue Valley Baptist Church, family, and friends that have held us up in SO many ways the last 3 years including praying with us as we sought a position like this one. Almost 3 years ago I left Westside Family Church (WFC) as a pastor on staff. The was one of the most difficult transitions that I have ever made as WFC was where I came to Christ, the only church that my wife and I had attended at the time together, had our 1st child, my 1st Pastoral position and much more. I left WFC with the intend of completing my education and while serving at local church, yet our Father has had markedly different plans. Over the last 3 years God has shown Himself to me and my family in ways that I would not have fathomed before this. He has continually proven time and again that He is a God of details and He has proven to be alive and well in our life each step of the way and I pray that this blog has reflected this reality. I will look back on this time as opportunity that God has used to grow me, shape me, and clarify the vision He has for our life. Thank you each so much for caring about us and praying for us. This is not the end of this blog but the beginning of a new chapter. As we work out all the details of a move, please pray (especially for my wife) in this transition as she can take a long time to feel settle into new surroundings.
Finally, I wanted to provide you with some audio from my sermon at CBC’s Sunday night service back on March 25th. The sermon is entitled: “The offer on the table” and I pray you are as blessed in hearing it as I was in preaching it.
I actually love to cook…and when I’m done I prefer to clean up everything instead of leaving it in the sink for the next generation to handle.
Watching the same episode of Sports Center for four hours in a row is a complete waste of time…I would MUCH rather watch “Dancing With The Has Beens Stars” with you!
I would LOVE to hear how you feel about (BLANK) and would never interrupt you except for points of clarification.
Over the last few weeks I have been listening to the out of control coverage and reaction to the tragic killing of a Florida teenager named Trayvon Martin. Honestly, this whole situation reminds me of a similar tragic situation that happened when I was younger in my home town. I remember my father sitting me down and telling me “the Black Man code”, though he didn’t frame it as such. In that conversation I remember my parents reminding me about Emmett Till, a young black male who was murdered (to put it lightly) for “whistling at a white woman” while visiting relatives in 1955. All of these memories and more were triggered while reading an article by Jesse Washington on Yahoo news.
I knew I that our family was far from alone in laying out these instructions. Across the country this week, many parents of minority children will be having this talk with their children, especially their black sons, about “the Code”. This talk is as important if not more so than the sex talk. It’s a talk the black community has passed down for generations, an evolving oral tradition from the days when an errant remark could easily cost black people their job, their freedom, or sometimes their life. Now that I have a son, I have admittedly wished that the world head progressed to the point of not having to given this talk, all the while knowing that in reality I will.
Please read the excerpt or click through and read the whole article and think about what’s written. I am not looking to ‘pull out the race card’ but I am wanting to give you, my readers, some insight into mindset that so shapes apart of the culture I came from.
Always pay close attention to your surroundings, son, especially if you are in an affluent neighborhood where black folks are few. Understand that even though you are not a criminal, some people might assume you are, especially if you are wearing certain clothes.
Never argue with police, but protect your dignity and take pride in humility. When confronted by someone with a badge or a gun, do not flee, fight, or put your hands anywhere other than up.
Please don’t assume, son, that all white people view you as a threat. America is better than that. Suspicion and bitterness can imprison you. But as a black male, you must go above and beyond to show strangers what type of person you really are….
I am 6-4 and more than 200 pounds, son. You probably will be too. Depending on how we dress, act and speak, people might make negative assumptions about us. That doesn’t mean they must be racist; it means they must be human.
Let me tell you a story, son, about a time when I forgot about the Black Male Code.
One morning I left our car at the shop for repairs. I was walking home through our quiet suburban neighborhood, in a cold drizzle, wearing an all-black sweatsuit with the hood pulled over my head.
From two blocks away, I saw your mother pull out of our driveway and roll towards me. When she stopped next to me and rolled down the window, her brown face was full of laughter.
“When I saw you from up the street,” your mother told me, “I said to myself, what is that guy doing in our neighborhood?”
When I first stepped into ministry many years ago there was much I did not know. Honestly, one of my biggest fears falls into the category of what most people would see as my strength, managing people. Within my first month I made the decision to take a trip to a Passion conference in Chicago with some of the students. I have to admit that one of the students was a high functioning autistic and I was terrified to take him with us but he ended up riding with me. After 8 hours in a car with him, I realized that he was a gift from God and not to be scared of. Over my time at WFC I learned more about him and became more enamored by the way God had made him. This is why when I came across this statement in our local newspaper I was completely taken off guard.
A jury this afternoon awarded nearly $3 million to a Portland-area couple whose daughter was born with Down syndrome even though a prenatal test found she didn’t have the chromosomal abnormality….The couple contend that they would have aborted their daughter had they known the facts and now face the financial burden of raising her.
It took me a few minutes to process what I read, I found myself at a loss for a response. until I found a blog from Deanna J. Smith entitled “Perhaps you should sue God” and it was in excellent. Here is a snippet:
I’m not sure how you look into those almond shaped eyes-grasp that warm hand smaller than most-hold close the body vibrating with life and say “We wish we could have aborted you”.But since you have, there are a couple of things I would like to say- some things that clearly you haven’t already thought through. Sometimes unexpected things happen to us in life. Bad things that we didn’t ask for. Some of us would call them blessings in disguise-the gifts that we didn’t even realize that we needed- while others label MISTAKE and WORTHLESS all over the unexpected.
The truth is, I can see why you’re angry. You have a baby that you didn’t want. A diagnosis that you feared is now a very real part of your life without your permission. Since I have been there myself, I understand the hurt and anger. But what I don’t understand is, why did you sue the DOCTOR?
Didn’t you mean to sue GOD?
Please check out the rest of the article and I would love to know your thoughts below.
Jon is a passionate communicator, innovative thinker, and the leader communities that call participants to lives that make much of the glory of God. Jon endeavors to be a resource enabling people to effectively reach their community by leading biblically faithful and culturally relevant lives. His greatest joy outside of Jesus is being married to his wife Heather and being a dad to their children. That being said, the articles and opinions expressed on this blog are solely mine and do not represent Blue Valley Baptist Church or Concord Baptist Church (Jefferson City).
Raised between two completely different worlds of the suburbs and the inner city of Kansas City, Jon....learn more
Last meeting w/ some dear friends for the last time. :-( This Saturday morning time has been so fruitful & encouraging to my life. Thank you 16 hours ago
I took little man to his crib the other night and but before I put him down I decided to spend a few minutes with him just rocking him and praying over him. I honestly could not repeat the prayer but I soon found myself staring into a pair of big brown eyes.
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