The Call

14 YEARS AGO TODAY, I RETURNED THE MOST IMPORTANT PHONE CALL OF MY LIFE!!!  It was the just the previous year on May 14, 2000 that I came to really know the incredible grace of God and was saved.  Unfortunately, I thought the "old way of life" was better for me and at this point 14 years ago, on May 6, 2001, I was as far from God as I had ever been.  It was early on a Sunday morning when my phone rang and I let go to voice mail.  Needless to say, the previous night was a rough one...remember, I had walked away from "The Call" God had on my life.  The voice mail came through so I figured that if they left a message, it must be important.  It was Amy and she had just got back to Lancaster after spending the previous day with some friends at King's Island and wondered if I would like to grab breakfast.  At this time, Amy didn't have the best life scenario going on and she was looking for something to do besides go to her apartment and deal with whatever came up there. 

Up to this point, Amy and I had only spoken a few times on the phone in addition to the casual conversations we would have at Crosssroads Center for Youth where she worked as a probation officer and I ran the open gym program.  Now, let it be known...I liked her...like REALLY LIKED HER but I didn't know how she felt about me.  We agreed to have her swing by my apartment in Millersport and we would grab breakfast and go from there.  The day consisted of breakfast at Bob Evans, a walk around Buckeye Lake, grabbing lunch to go at Rally's and going to Rising Park to eat, a walk up Mt. Pleasant, a trip to the watch 'The Mummy Returns', and then we went to my best friends house to play cards.

At the time, we had no idea what God had in store for us.  A couple months later, I dedicated my life back to God (after one crazy night with cops...maybe later I will write about it), Amy gets saved, we then get engaged on her birthday and on April 6, 2002, we were married...only 11months after that phone call.  I am so thankful for a God that had a plan for me, that included extending me grace to come back to Him after I had walked away and re-establish "The Call" he had placed on my life.  What is even cooler is that God used my stupidity and my ignorance when I walked away from him, to provide me with a wife that would answer "The Call" of ministry partner.

No matter where you are right now...if you feel that God has a plan for your life, whatever it is, will you answer "The Call?" Maybe you haven't yet come to know the saving grace of God...guess what, he is calling you to give your life to Him...just answer "The Call."

--Romans 11:29 (niv) for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable 
--Romans 10:13 (niv) for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

--Proverbs 16:3-4a (niv) Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. ⁴ The Lord works out everything to its proper end—

--Proverbs 16:9 (niv) In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.