Time of My Life

I am truly in the “Time of My Life”, for the David Cook generation or “Your Life is Now” for the John Cougar generation. For those who are close to me, I didn't just lose my mind. Yes, I remember what I've got going bad in my life.

Personally things are crazy. My mother's health is sinking slowly but surely and her financial future is like everyone else who was trying to retire. I have had a series of potentially serious, but thankfully fluke, health things myself that have included an otherwise healthy forty-something having had two multi day admissions to hospitals in the last five years. Cheri suffered a serious head injury almost two months ago and is not yet completely well. Thanks to the break up of my past business, I have been sued three times in the last decade. My Mother In Law is in remission, but has battled cancer in the last few years. We have had to say good bye to a church family we loved for almost a decade. And, all of that has had all kinds of effects on the kids.

Professionally things are equally rocky. I'm a small business owner trying to keep two single mom's, a pregnant mother with a new house & two other kids, and a soon to retire man with jobs. All of this, with no ability to get credit, and a shrinking, often unstable cash flow. Meanwhile my clients, who are the bottom rung of the economic ladder, are being crushed by this collapsing economy. They are the “canaries in the coal mine” and this started happening to them a few years ago and will continue to do so for awhile after the rest of us are back on our feet as we value their CEO’s bottom lines more than them.

But as I drove to my Mom's house a few weeks ago with nothing in the tank, mine or the cars, I came to a realization. This is the “time of my life” or “my time is now”. This is what all of the wonderful things in my life have been leading to. This is the time where the talents, the gifts, the blessings, the advantages all come together and I am supposed to fulfill that promise.

It’s not just a line from a superhero movie (actually movies Spiderman 1 & 2), it’s scripture. With great power comes great responsibility, with greater power greater responsibility. God has blessed me in so many ways. Again, yes, I get the list above. But, I have been given so many talents, so many friends, a loving family, more than enough (not by our culture’s standards) money, and the ability to make a difference in some many lives.

There was a time where I thought that meant I needed to hold a title like Mayor or Governor or President to do that. Bringing all the trappings of power, of part of or the whole of the most powerful nation on Earth, to bear on a problem. But, now, I get it. We all have that power. We can all change the world. But Right Now (and I’m feeling very musical today, that’s from a Van Halen song that is very on point too), is when we have to do this.

The Village Church is how I am going to help change the world. By creating a place where other followers of Jesus, those who have been turned off of church by other “Christians”, can find that they too are God’s beloved child; That God has given them all that they need to change the world for good; That there is a need or needs out there they can help fix; That there are others who will stand up with them and guide, comfort and support them while they change the world.

Come, join us this Easter Sunday at 9:45 in Walbridge Park’s Shelter House as we celebrate God’s love overcoming the darkness, the fear the hopelessness of two thousand years ago. Maybe you’ll find out that your time (life) is now too and help us change the world one person at a time. If not then, come join us Monday Night or Friday night this week as we share a little food and a little love with the homeless families of Family Promise (Interfaith Hospitality Network). Call me at 419-215-9550 if you want to know more.