Another Year In The Books

Well gang, 2008 is in the books and after a very short break REVEAL is back in full swing starting this weekend (01.04.09). We will be in "Big Church" this week and, oh yeah, we are gonna rock the 10:30 service.

As I am sitting here at my desk on Friday afternoon, listening to the music set for Sunday, I was struck by some of the lyrics. "Are you ready for what's to come?" I am not sure what my answer to that question is right now. My plans for 2007 came to an abrupt halt on Jan 6 of that year. My plans for 2008 came to an abrupt halt even earlier - on Nov 4 of 2007. But God had so much more in store for me.

There is a framed print of a poem in my office that my mom gave to me sometime during college. It has a line that says the following:

"Faith is...recognizing that God is the Lord of Time when my idea of timing doesn't agree with His."

MAN HOW TRUE THAT IS!!!!!!

At the start of 2008 I had no idea that I would be where I am today. God really rocked my world and in the process, blessed my socks off. Don't get me wrong - I still have some goals in mind for 2009 and some other things that I would love to see happen. (God is teaching me to dream big and pray bigger.) But at the same time, I am trying to stay open to what He wants.

So, REVEAL, I ask you, "Are you ready for what's to come?" I hope so. God has some big, big things planned for REVEAL and for FBC as a whole. I think that 12 months from now, we will be looking back at 2009 going, "I can't believe that God did that!" And for someone, 2009 won't be remembered for Obama taking office, or some school winning a National Championship, or some other thing. For them, 2009 will be remembered as the year that their name was added to the Book of Life. And it will be because we as REVEAL took time to pray, to get to know them, and to trust that God is a big God. Bigger than we can even imagine.

--Will