Perspective

Well for the last few days I have been trying to tie up all looses ends so I could attend CPC (Children’s Pastors Conference) this year. Up to November I had not planned on attending this year. It’s expensive. Once you add up the cost of airfare, hotel room, and the cost of conference it can be a good amount. We have gone in the past because it is a great place to be fed as a Christian leader to kids. You learn all kinds of cutting edge techniques and sharpen old skills that are always effective. This also has a massive vendor area that you can see what is new for reaching kids and families. After learning and seeing everything my team would bring it all back and pour it into all our volunteers through training meetings and one on one. So instead of just a few benefiting my whole ministry benefits.

It’s kind of like an infomercial. There’s More! My team and I have gone out to train other church leaders too. We can forget about the benefits that parents get from connecting with one of my team when they need resources or just encouragement. Then we have the important ones the kids. They benefit the most because they have a renewed core leadership looking to help them grow closer to God. CPC is like a week at the most energizing and refreshing thing you can think of.

So How in the world am I on a plane going to CPC? Well I was asked to help staff a booth for Standard Publishing. They are taking care of the whole trip in exchange for working their booth. Pretty sweet I think.

Last week I received a call from my representative from Standard. She wanted to find out if I could do them a big favor. They wanted me to take over a break out session. They had a speaker back out and need someone to fill in and I was suggested. I have done these sessions before but have had them planned out months in advance. So I accepted like a crazy man. I thought well this one must be Gods and if it is he will give me the things I need to make it come together. So not only have I been getting ready for an exciting transition in my children’s ministry (space change) and all the other things I normally do but I have had this too. If this is not enough, our water heater decided to stop heating the water on Saturday night. humm… and ton of other things that I’m not going mention happened. We do have hot water now thanks to Mr. Bob Mosel PTL for him and I pray many blessing on him and his family!

So I got to bed around 1:30am then back up at 4:40 am today and get ready to leave (Sleep is overrated!) and I look outside and its snowing and coming down good I said okay great what next?

My awesome family and beautiful wife (yes even at 5 am that’s amazing!!) get me to the airport on time. I get through security and go to McDonalds for some coffee and sandwich then to the gate. I sit and it starts to hit me I’m by myself eating the traditional CPC breakfast. I’m going to my ministry teams highlight of the year alone. I’m not carrying some else’s bag or asking Mickey if he has a power source for our mobile devices. I look out side at the snow and the dark gloom. I’m not in a very good frame of mind.

I board the plane alone. I put my bags in the overhead storage alone. I sit in my seat and look over at the rest of the row and think yep ALONE! As I sit the listing to the safety briefing I’m just thinking man how boring I’m all by myself and at the hotel room I will be yep that’s right alone. I hear the captain say we need to pull out and beginning the deicing process. I watch out my window as the trucks move around the plane seemed like I was watching an episode of “Bob The Builder”. As the fluid is being sprayed I asked God help me get out of this funk. We lined up to takeoff the plows clear the way making a safe way for the plane to take off then we go. Up, up and away into the gloom and doom. Ears popping with the steep climb and then we break though to the gorgeous sun filled blue skies and I realize. Dude come on it’s your outlook on what’s going on change it or be miserable.

This could be an awesome experience with adventure around every corner. It’s up to you to decide. It was like God painted this picture for me to get my head on straight. How cool is it that we can call on our creator and he hears our cries and helps us in our time of need. Psalm 17:6-7 I call on you, O God, for you will answer me: give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.

Just like the airplane breaking through all the gloom to beautiful sunny skies. God will hear your prayers. It just might take some time or a change of perspective.

So…how’s you perspective today? I hope if its not in line with God’s will you will ask for Him to help you change it. I also hope it was better than mine.