Wow...

So… In a couple weeks I’ll be working for the Boston Red Sox... WHAT. From being homeless living on couches to working for the defending World Series Champions in under two years. I have no words for that. All I can say is thank you God for everything.

 

     I’m going to miss Lynchburg. Much more than I want to admit. Six years is a long time to spend in one place. A lot of time, emotion, money have been put into my life here, and it feels weird to just up and leave in the blink of an eye. There is so much I still want to do here! That’s life I guess.  

     I’m not going to lie to you, for a split second I hesitated saying yes to the job offer. I was scared of the unknown, and if you know me well enough, when I am afraid of something I tend to run away from it. This time it was different though. Today I was reminded, while talking to a friend, why I was put on this earth. It is to bring glory to God. Not to feel good or to be content in my surroundings.

     Now before you tune me out because I seem idiotic for insinuating this is a sacrifice let me just say this: I am absolutely, 100% terrified of large crowds of people. Especially when they all will be looking at me at some time or another. It’s not something I enjoy, but for some strange reason God has given me the ability to work well in that environment. That’s why I applied in the first place.

 

     Anyways, the reason I accepted this position was because I knew this was the best way for me to reach as many people as possible with the love of Christ. Now I won’t be proselytizing on Yawkey Way per se, but this is my chance to just love on people regardless to race, creed or orientation. The Red Sox had over 2.3 MILLION visitors last year. Chances are a few of them need Christ’s love, and I’d love to give them a glimpse of that. 

   So please say a prayer for me as I go back home. This transition won’t be easy. In fact, it will be downright stressful at times, but I was given this chance for a reason. With the strength of God lifting me up, I hope that I can maybe, possibly make a small impact in the city of Boston.

You’ve made it all the way to the end of this post! Congratulations! Taking the time to read my blog means a lot to me. I don’t have any delusions of grandeur when it comes to this. I just wanted to get this off my chest. I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my life.

Now here's some good music to enjoy!

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples..."

...[I]f you have love for one another."
                                                              - John 13:35, NASB

     This one verse has been going through my mind a lot lately. Is this what we are really known for now? How come that's not the case? How come love isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Christians? Does nobody see all the good Christians are doing in today's world?

     Truthfully, there are many long-winded answers to this question spanning a couple millennia so I'll spare you all that read. The fact of the matter is that modern day Christianity is NOT known for it's love for people, and, frankly, that needs to change.

    Now the point of this post isn't to try to start of "revolution of love" or "rally the troops." It's more to just reflect on what's been happening in my life lately. This verse hit me a few days ago when I was just waiting for the train to show up at the station near my house. In case you didn't know, I was given the opportunity to interview for a job with the Boston Red Sox for this upcoming season. This whole process has been a incredible adventure, and finally came to an end this past Saturday. So here I am, just sitting at a train station when it hit me, "What would it be like if I tried to show love to the people around me?" I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that not a minute later I was given an opportunity. And not thirty minutes later it happened again! And again!

    To be honest, I don't believe that once I had that thought God just decided to shower me with people who needed my help. Rather all God did was open my eyes to the people around me. It was a sobering feeling, as well as an overwhelming one. How could I have not shown love to these people yet call myself a Christian? Simply put, I couldn't. But now? The whole world looks different to me. It's refreshing, and my friends say they see a difference in me. I'm noticeably happier.

   So in short, I think the way we change this negative stigma is to just love the people around you. Everyone hurts. It's part of the human condition. But not everyone loves. Jesus Christ knew the significance of this when He gave out this commandment, and I think we as Christians should daily ask God to show us how to love the people we come into contact with that particular day.


Noel