Between Stephen Kellogg Concerts

I went to a Stephen Kellogg concert over 5 years ago. I had just moved back to Illinois after having lived in Denver. I moved on a promise of a youth ministry job at a church. I was excited about the new transition and a friend had allowed me to live with her. I had gone to college in Illinois, and I had a few friends that I was excited to be close to again. I was sad to leave behind the life I had created in Denver, but was hopeful that God would redeem and expand my community in Illinois.

What I had hoped to be a very exciting, happy start turned out to be quite a different beginning of my time back in Illinois. I hadn’t even unpacked before I found out (after I called the church) that they had given my position to someone else. You’re probably thinking the same thing as me, “How could they do that?” Well, as we know, there are always politics involved...and let’s just say there was no signed contract yet, so therefore they could pull a move like that. Nevertheless, the learned lesson was to never move without two things: a signed contract AND moving expenses paid.

In my first week after having left a very encouraging, loving community in Colorado, I was back in Illinois, sitting alone on the floor among my boxes trying to understand God, his church, and his people...and my future. There were a few things I knew to be true sitting there in my room.

1. God never lets me go...and I’ve experienced that.
2. I knew I was called to ministry....and I’ve experienced that.
3. I had a lot of bills and no money....I’ve ALWAYS experienced that.
4. One day He will set all things right.....someday I will experience that.

I got up from the floor and left the boxes packed. I went to church. Well, I wasn’t sure what church to go to, because for the first time, I didn’t have a church. So I went to the first one I could find in Wheaton. I sat in the back hoping to just fulfill my duty of being “at church every Sunday” and I didn’t want anyone to talk to me. That is when I met Tracy. She was God in flesh at that moment sitting next to me in the back pew. She listened to me and offered me babysitting hours, and even told me about a Lutheran church in Naperville that was looking for a High School Youth Director.

For a dark month in November I was working odd jobs for a temp agency and going to concerts. I took off one night on my own to explore Chicago and ended up at at Mat Kearney/Stephen Kellogg show at Shubas. I was alone at this show and I wondered how God was going to figure out my next steps because I had no idea. I remember what a great night that was, and begging that God would find roots for me in this place and a place where I could serve....

I went to a Stephen Kellogg concert last night.

And like many things, I am finding how God comes full circle. I’ve seen it in scripture, I’ve seen in in my life. As I was at the show last night, I reflected on the past 5 years. I reflected on that dark month, and how God’s hand was in all of it and led me to that Lutheran church in Naperville, that I still serve at. And last night I pondered a few things that I know to be true.

1. God never lets me go.
2. I know that I’m still called to ministry.
3. I still have alot of bills and no money.
4. And one day, as I experienced last night, He sets things right.

For me, there’s a lot of life that happened between those two Stephen Kellogg concerts. A lot of growing up, a lot of pain, a lot of blessings.... roots, community, and constant reminders of God’s calling and love in my life. There’s been gray hairs, weight gain and weight loss...there’s been old friendships broken and new friendships created. Numerous address changes, numerous teen heart changes, and always, always.... concerts.