Past, Present & Future

I was at my rock bottom for the summer. Where was I supposed to go from here? I didn't even know how I had gotten here in the first place. How was I supposed to teach kids about Christ while I was going through so much questioning, bitterness, and doubt?

When you have this many questions and don't know where to go, you head to the front office and walk into Terry Bley's office. He'll know.

Conversations with Terry are usually never easy. He aces in discernment and reading people's minds. I'm only partially kidding. But the toughest part about talking with Terry is the challenge of truly listening to what he says in return. In just one hour, he can make the past 20 years of your life become more clear. He can give a challenge that may seem to take a lifetime. And in regards to all of our conversations, he can also make you cry.

This particular meeting was unlike any we'd ever had. He managed to bring up the most obvious parts of my past and relate them to the present struggles I was dealing with and future obstacles I may run into. Comparing my relationship with my father to my relationship with my Father. Or wearing a helmet of shame versus a helmet of salvation. Together we read Ephesians 6:10-18.

"...Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."
-Ephesians 6:17

Tears stream down my face as I realize the challenge that I am presented with. Break bondage. Repair relationships. Replace helmets. Forgive. Some things are so much easier said than done.