Trust

Trust. It's what you must do when diving under a bar. When that 200# bar is sitting at my hip, and all I have is a short dip and pop to get as much lift on it as possible, I have to trust that I will be fast enough to dive under it and catch it. There can't be any hesitation, any fear, any doubt that I won't be able to. If any of those creeps in, even for a split second, it can be the difference between a missed and made lift.

Trust is something I have been learning about in one way or another for the past six years. When I look back over my life, I see how time and time again I have worried about things I had no control over, and how the Lord has continually provided for me. Many times He provided in ways that I didn't foresee, but His ways have always been for my good and His glory. Let me recount the ways:

My senior year of High School, I had applied to only two schools- Texas Tech, and Texas A&M. I was auto entry to tech, but waiting to hear back from A&M. I got in, though I'm not really sure how. I had almost zero extra-curriculars, and my grades were above average, but not great by any means. Looking back, I can see how the Lord got me in because that is where He knew that I would grow the most in Him.

Next I had to find a roommate. I didn't want to potluck with some rando, and all of my friends already had living situations. Somehow, I got connected through a mutual friend with a guy I had never met, and we decided to live together. Five years later, 4 of which spent living together, he is my best friend. The Lord provided.

College can be intimidating, having to make a whole new group of friends. In the most obscure way ever, the Lord pieced together a group of 9 guys who all love and seek after Him, and after living in one house (and one room) together for 3 years, I now have a group of not just friends, but brothers. The Lord provided. BR

Time and time again, I was certain I was going to fail a class, but He helped me get through and earn my degree. The Lord provided.

I was a YoungLife leader in college, and there were many instances where I had to trust in the Lord to provide. One specific instance stands out in my mind. We had 19 kids signed up for camp, and that cost $750 per kid. Thats $14,250 that our YoungLife team owed. We fundraised most of it, but with about a month left we still owed $8,000. I remember one day literally getting on my knees in my kitchen and begging the Lord to provide. There was no way that a group of 8 college kids could raise that kind of money in one month. The next day, we received three checks- one for $7,500, one for $300, and one for $200. The Lord provided.

Before I could graduate college, I had to complete an internship. I got shot down at several places that I thought would be best for me, but eventually ended up landing an internship at the University of Houston. A year later, it has been one of the most joyful, amazing experiences of my life. The experiences I have had, and the people I have met and shared life with are something I treasure dearly. The Lord provided.

A week before I graduated college, I was still jobless and homeless. I vividly remember praying that the Lord would provide a way for me to stay at UH. The next day, I got a call from the athletic director wanting to interview me. Several hours later, I was employed. The Lord provided.

All of my buddies from college were living in separate cities, and now I was in a big city (Houston) with no brothers. I remember praying that the Lord would send me just one friend, and he provided in a big way. I met my training partner, my friend, and my brother in Steve. He and his wife have been a continued source of joy and comfort in my life, in a time where those two things were oftentimes hard to come by. The Lord provided.

With my contract with UH coming to a close, it was again time to find another job. After much searching, I ended up getting connected with a crossfit box in Dallas. The box is located a block from where four of my bros from college live. My natural response is to worry, to doubt. Why Dallas? Why crossfit? After looking back at my last six years though, I can't help but to trust that He has a plan, and that his plan is for my good and His glory. I'm sure that a year from now, I'll understand why. The Lord provides.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." -Proverbs 3:5

Trust in Him. Dive under the bar of life