Over the past few days I have had the honor of attending my first Life.Church Family Reunion, a 2-day event where all staff come together to worship, fellowship, and grow. One of the recurring phrases came during a story from Pastor Sam Roberts, who said, "If you're feeling like giving up ... don't sell the boat." He was referring to leaving the ministry. This has resonated with me ever since he said because in 2021... I sold the boat.
I spent the better part of a decade working in youth ministry both in a church context as well as within Young Life. I thought I was going to be there forever. I'd attend staff gatherings and see people getting 10, 20, 30 or more year anniversary awards and I'd think to myself, "That will be me one day." But God had other plans...
How I got here
Depression was something I wrestled with when I was a teenager and through my early 20s, though I couldn't really put that name to what I was feeling at the time.