It’s been a year since I began talking with First Glance about taking a position here. Looking back at how much time has passed is humbling. It’s humbling to see where my life is. Looking back, I have come to this conclusion : I am blessed.
Yes, “blessed” is a cliche’ we often hear from people. This common, hash-tagable, overused phrase denotes that we recognize good things are happening to us because we are “blessed”, and not necessarily because of our own actions. We say “blessed” for anything from a newborn baby to a new outfit. In our society it can even come off as bragging. Showing off an expensive car on social media with the hashtag “blessed” isn’t uncommon today. But in this year I have learned that the Bible defines “blessed” as something completely different.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4
I am blessed to have all the good things in life, sure. A beautiful wife, a new house, a community of friends, and a wonderful ministry. Beyond that, I am now a part of the Kenmore community, and the trials of this community are now mine. The heroine overdoses, the closing of schools, the violence, the broken homes, the fighting, the empty storefronts; they are all mine now. Mine to see from living in the community, and mine to effect. They are trials and I count them as blessings; my blessings.
Time flies when you’re having fun. But when you’re doing work in a neighborhood like this and trying to uplift the youth in a community, you are blessed with this time. I’m learning that blessings aren’t easy and in this past year I’ve lived that with my community. I’ve seen my friends walk with our students when their parents overdose on heroine, I’ve talked with a middle schooler who’s father is in jail now for a dui, I’ve been there to talk with teenagers who are literally having their possessions robbed from their rooms when they are at school and sold for drugs, and I’ve stopped fist fights between friends more then once. Still I’m blessed. I’m blessed because I get to do this. And every one of these stories are from students and skaters that I am so proud to say are my friends. In every sense of the word. I’m just happy I get to do this.
I get to be the first one that someone talks to when they find out their parents are splitting up, this time for good. I get to be the one that leads a 23 year old man to Christ after his wife left with his daughter. I get to be the one to help fix one of our skater’s cars because the breaks just stopped working on the way to the skatepark. I get to do this.
I’ve officially got one year left in this role as the skatepark coordinator and it’s honestly a dream job. If you feel like supporting me and First Glance financially, with prayer, or by volunteering your time to do this awesome work just get a hold of my on here.
Thanks to my wife, friends, and family for the support so far. I’m just happy I get to do this for another year.