Sunday
was an interesting day. I heard a saying once that everybody has a
story. That kind of goes without saying, as we all have experiences
that make us who we are. But, there’s a thin line that sometimes
separates us from being in a different place. I’m not a preacher. I
don’t have that gift, I say things I sometimes shouldn’t, and if
the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were to walk into wherever I was at,
my mind would wander. But, in a sense, this is my witness. It may be
the strongest example in my life of God’s power to change you –
and to take you to a different place than where you’ve been. I
never thought it was worth sharing until yesterday when I had lunch
with a friend of mine who told me that somewhere out there someone
might appreciate this. At the very least, I do consider it one of the
greatest examples of God being there in my life – when I didn’t
think he was. And, it shows just how what we think of as a simple
choice can affect our whole life.
It
was the summer of 2011. For close to a year, I had been living in
Georgia. To say that I had great memories of the town where I lived
would be a lie. Life hadn’t been the best for a couple of years,
and moving to Georgia really seemed to knock the wheels off of the
car. By August of 2011, things had reached a point where it wasn’t
going to get better. I had no idea what was going to happen in my
life, but it was apparent that more change was on the way. While I
had gotten back involved in Church that summer, my faith was still
very shaky, and I had no idea where I was going to be or wind up
next.
While
my living situation wasn’t great, I do have to stop the story for
just a second. I did have a job with THE NEWS COURIER, a newspaper in
Alma, GA. My experience in Alma was the best part about living in the
land of the Bulldogs. I made some real good friends, and wrote about
everything – music and sports, but also politics, and also some
human interest stories – which really helped me to grow as a
writer. I had also reconnected with Church, attending at the Alma
Church of Christ, and had made some good friends there.
So,
I was at work this day, trying to keep my mind focused on work. I
checked my email, and there was a message saying “Special
Opportunity” from Billboard Magazine. As a member of the CMA, I was
used to receiving such emails from the magazine’s marketing
department trying to sell subscriptions to members at a discounted
rate. Nine times out of ten, I would have just deleted it and gone on
about my business.
You
know how I mentioned earlier about that “Thin Line” between your
actions that can have so much influence on your life? Well, this was
one of those. It just so happened that it was lunch time, and I
didn’t waste any time taking my break. So, I didn’t delete it. I
went to eat, came back, and finished the day. That night, I was
covering a high school football game in a town I could probably never
find again. At halftime, I decided I would check my email.
That
email that I was so sure was simply marketing was something vastly
different. It was from one of the editors of the magazine asking
about my interest in a position with them. I wish someone had a film
of that moment. I’m sure I was as bewildered as I had ever been in
my life. Billboard
Magazine? Someone
was playing a joke on me was my first thought. This was the magazine
I had bought at B. Dalton Booksellers at Hickory Hollow Mall as a
kid, after all. To be honest, I had never dreamed about writing for
Billboard because I didn’t think I was of that caliber. (Sometimes,
I still don’t, but I am trying to earn the honor.) So, it wasn’t
even anything I thought about.
To
make a long story short, the editor and I talked the next day,
exchanged emails over the weekend, and on Monday – I was the newest
writer for.....Billboard Magazine, and in less than two weeks was
back in Nashville. Since then, I have been blessed with so many
incredible career experiences in my life.
I
said this was my witness. So, let me explain. I had went through some
experiences that really shook me to the core. There was a part of me
that really believed that things were never going to work out –
career wise or other. And, with more changes forthcoming, what was
going to happen? How close was I to deleting the email without
opening it? I wonder about that. Thankfully, I don’t know the
answer. Some of you might just say it was fate. I disagree. Something
besides my stomach stopped me from deleting it. God knew. I can
debate for at least two minutes what I want on a Subway sandwich, so
you can imagine me with a major decision. This was one of those jobs
that I couldn’t say no to, and I’m glad I didn’t. Since then,
there have been a few times where I wondered how I was going to make
it. But, at each interval, something would come up. Charity from
friends? An extra freelance job? Sure, that’s what it was, but I
also view it as God’s handiwork.
I
am writing this because I know we all have our struggles. We all have
our moments where you wonder if God is listening to your cries while
in what you percieve to be as the wilderness. I know I did, but I can
tell you he’s there. I know this first-hand. Since I made a
decision to turn back to him that summer, he has had his hand on me
in a way I couldn’t begin to describe. I still wonder about the
non-career stuff. I grapple with that each day. I don’t want to be
alone for the rest of my life.....but I have also learned that it has
to come on his time and not mine. God is there. He hears you, and he
won’t let you down. I may not be able to quote you as much
scripture about it as I should be able to, but I know it’s true. He
has been there for me – but, he was all along. Sometimes – to
look out over the mountains, you have to have spent some time in the
valley, I guess to fully appreciate the view. It’s true in career,
and I hope it will be true personally, as well.
So,
the moral of this story is to believe....in God, life, but also in
yourself. I have said before that there are better writers than I.....Nashville is full of them. There are better radio people than I....all over the country, but nobody loves what they do ANY MORE
than I. I didn’t say ‘as much,’ because this business is full
of people with passion from some of the most talented people you
would ever meet. But, trust me, I know I am blessed! So, don’t ever
lose faith. It will happen. Just believe.
