Turning Junk into Hallelujah

The other night at our men's group we talked about how God uses every situation that has happened to you to create a ministry opportunity for you. Let me use my own life as an example:

When I was 3 years old my mom ran away and for years I had a deep fear of abandonment.

When I was 8 years old my second grade teacher stood me in front of the class and made fun of me.

When I was 11 years old the music teacher had me stand in front of the class and show them how not to play the recorder.

When I was 12 years old my basketball coach told each of us what he liked about us. Because of the experiences with other teachers I feared the moment he would talk about me. He had me stand and he told the other boys that I was not the best player on the team but he wish he had ten guys like me. He went on to say that with every coaching situation I listened and did exactly what he asked me to do.

When I was 18 years old I had a teacher tell me I would never be anything but average. I believed that one until I was 45 years old.

When I was 18 years old I joined the Navy and was sent to Vietnam. When I returned I was ashamed as I flew on the plane home with the wounded soliders. Then when they were spit on as we arrived in the United States I felt even more shame.

When I was 22 years old my hero died. I always feared that my dad would leave like my mom and when he died it was devastating.

When I was 24 years old my wife left me and reinforced the abandonment feelings I had.

I remarried when I was 28 years old and adopted a son and then had a beautiful daughter. When I was 32 years old my second wife asked me to leave and I was homeless for several weeks. A godly man, Dick and his wife, Lydia, took me in until I got back on my feet.

When I was 36 years old I married Kat and we have been married for 23 years.

I have been addicted to pornography. I have smoked pot. I have failed at jobs, friendships and finances. I have felt useless, worthless and stupid. I have a desire to be a full-time pastor but the opportunities have not surfaced.

The list is even long than this but here is my point. Despite all of the junk that has happened in my life they are not what is important. What is important is what God has done in me because of all of the junk. In the end, whether I am in ministry full-time or not, I have to say Hallelujah for God has used all of the junk to minister to others through small and some times large ways.

As you listen to Hallelujah think about your own life and then ask God to use all of the junk in your life for the good of someone else. I want you to remember that you are no different than all of the famous people in the Bible. They were weak just like you, they had faults just like you, they struggled with life issues just like you, yet God used them to do might things just like He will you.

In the end all will fall at the feet of our God and sing Hallelujah.

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