From The Desk of David

These words that I’m about to inscribe are probably some of the hardest words I’ve ever had to write. The words in which you are about to lay eyes upon our words written in frustration and tears. I don’t like this. I don’t want to be where I’m at but I don’t have control over it and that is the frustrating part about it. I am a control freak – there I admitted it. I like to have control over every aspect of my life and I don’t enjoy things that are not within my control. If you were to ask, handing things over to The Father is probably the most difficult part of my walk with Christ. I don’t like laying things down and surrendering control but now I must. I must surrender to the unknown. I must surrender to the sovereignty of Jesus. So, it would be a grace for you to read these words and walk through this with me. While the story isn’t complete and the season is still in progress, I hope these painful words will help take away some of yours. May my own aching ease yours. May my broken heart be an example for how to mend yours.

If you asked sixteen-year-old David what he meant when he declared that he would give his life over to ministry, he probably would respond with the naïve statement of, “I just want to serve people and I want to point them to Jesus.” And while this might remain true, sixteen-year-old David didn’t understand that sometimes serving people means walking through hardships so that you gain a testimony to share with them. Suffering produces sympathy and sympathy is the gateway to vulnerability. If you can sympathize with someone, you possess the knowledge of how one’s hardship is impacting them. And when you understand the effect of hardship, you can engage in meaningful, life-changing conversation. When you sympathize with someone you gain the authority to speak into their life – that is what ministry is all about. Ministry is about gaining authority to speak into the lives of his many individuals as you possibly can through the grace, mercy, and provision of The Father. So no, sixteen-year-old David didn’t understand what the dedication to ministry would truly entail. He would understand that ministry would snap his heart in two and demand he just keeps on loving people even when he did not feel like it. Sixteen-year-old me wouldn’t understand that sometimes I would endure hardships so that I might gain more influence in the lives of others.

I’m gaining influence. Currently, I am writing this from a hospital bed. Those of you who are familiar with my story know that I’ve struggled with chronic arthritic knee pain for the majority of my life. Never be expected to walk, arthritic pain is a miracle within itself but now, it’s become too much. I endure pain on a daily basis and this pain inhibits my daily life as a student and a leader. So, I am putting my life on hold so that my physical self may grow stronger and better. This means taking time off of school – something I’m not happy about. The Lord has been doing so much on the campus of Liberty University and I believe that they are on the cusp of witnessing a revival. And now I must step back from that to deal with my health issues.

So now, I must just sit. Sit and heal. How very boring. But it is what I must do. I must gather all the lessons to be gathered and glorify Jesus through it.

So, it would be a grace for you all to walk through this with me? I’ll keep on writing and you all just keep on praying. Thank you to everyone, especially my LU friends who have been a source of comfort and encouragement for me through this time.

For His Glory,

David