This probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has had any close proximity with me since high school, but I have a serious problem: I do not know how to rest. I can take time to watch netflix, sit at coffee shops and converse, etc., but I do not know how to truly rest. Some days it is because I am too busy for my own good and there is far too much work to be completed, but other days it is more complicated than that.

This world is full of hurting people in bad situations, and it is extremely hard for me to take time and fully rest knowing there are people who need an advocate. If I could spend every waking moment of every single day immersed in this town or that city working with people to change their situations, I would. The fact of the matter is, though, I can’t. The nature of living in a fallen world is that there will always be struggles and there will always be hurting people, and I am merely one man trying to make a difference in a world full of people who all have struggles. While I know I am not alone in this, on the dreariest of Kentucky days it can seem like the hurting outnumber the advocates a million to one.

When I took the first step on the journey of this semester, my eyes glazed over with visions of spending day after day sitting with people, working tirelessly to change the trajectory of their lives. (a concept the teens I work with have been discussing with me) I imagined myself channeling all of my physical/mental exertion that school took into the spiritual/emotional exertion that advocacy would be. I justified this by saying “I’m sleeping a lot more, so yeah I’m more rested.” The more I walk in faith, though, the more I realize that exertion is exertion, and that I need to learn to be still. I need to learn to rest in the LORD and to wait on Him.

God knows the hurting of this world, and His heart is for them. When I take a step back from my own busyness and see what He has for me, I realize that He wants me to be available. He wants the ‘schedule’ of my heart to be open enough that I may spend time with those He sends my way and that I may listen to His calling. There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to make the biggest difference, but in the busyness this causes it is easy to stop listening to Him. He is beckoning me to sit at His feet and lean back against Him. I am humbled that He would have me there, but I am so blessed that He knows exactly what I need.

Through listening to His calling, and following His lead, I am learning that the best way we can make a difference is by waiting for the ones He sends our way, loving them unconditionally, and by trusting Him to take care of the ones just beyond our reach.

I challenge you to take an extra moment this week, whether you are a parent, teacher, policeman, friend, etc., and see who God is sending your way.

In His rest,

Jacob

As I sit behind my apartment building typing away, I am overwhelmed with joy for sunshine. Sun in January in Kentucky is such a blessing, and it is the perfect Sunday gift to wrap up an awesome week! This week, God has brought exciting things!

I had the opportunity to meet a man who is restarting his life in his late fifties. His wife died of cancer and he has no family near him or in his life. We met by chance, and through a series of conversations I learned that he is a veteran of three different active duties abroad, and that he has no car, little money, and little hope. I was able to pray with him and bring him to church on this beautiful Sunday. I am amazed at how listening to the whispers of God and following His direction truly does bring His will into light. He wants to use us all daily to impact those around us in ways only He can construct. I am so thankful for the opportunity of this semester, and I am hopeful for things to come.

I have quite frankly been apprehensive about beginning this semester without attending school. This is truly not what I have planned. I am enamored, however, with how fulfilling and satisfying it is to wake up everyday and look for the miracles around me. This week has been an amazing confirmation that God fulfills what He orders, even when it doesn’t make sense to you or I. Here’s to  a life filled with wonder and mercy for all.

Here is the declaration of sabbatical I posted to Facebook a few days ago. It outlines in detail the start to this journey and is therefore a fitting first post:

Since I began studying at Transylvania University in 2012, I have been working at or beyond forty hours a week at multiple jobs to pay for school and maintain a debt-free status. I have completed through the first half of my junior year in this manner, and it has taken a toll on my mind and body. I am confident that graduating debt-free is in God’s plan for my life, but working that much while balancing school is honestly exhausting. My body and mind need more rest than I have time to give them.

One year ago I began working for a church in Versailles Kentucky called NewDay Community Church. This was an opportunity that randomly came to my attention, and it involves working with the church and its surrounding community (especially teens) to create a safe, positive place to be. There are people of all ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, strengths, and weaknesses that I get to work closely with and share the love of Christ with. This job has quickly become one of my passions, and my skill sets and academic passions are channeled naturally through this as well.

In late October I felt like God was challenging me to take a semester off of school. I was initially apprehensive about this because it didn’t fall within MY plan for my life, and I’ve heard all the statistics about those who leave school and do not return. The more I prayed and listened, however, the more clear it became. I signed the papers at the end of 2014, and I am currently un-enrolled from Transy. It is a scary thing to take a plunge such as this, especially when it goes against that which society thinks is ‘correct.’ I am humbled, however, because my life is not my own; God has a plan for my life that stretches far beyond my wildest dreams, and taking this leap of faith in Him is a very exciting thing.

As an aside, I should interject the events that transpired directly after I committed to this semester off. The youth group I lead at NewDay was started this past summer, and maintained a regular attendance of a handful of teens from its inception up until I made the aforementioned decision. At the youth group meeting following ‘decision day,’ more teens poured into that building than ever before. The group literally quadrupled overnight, and they are ALL still in attendance to this day! Praise God! In that moment, God revealed a small piece of His plan for this shift in my life, and it is an exciting time!

I have created focus points for this ‘sabbatical,’ as I want to make this an intentional time. They are (in no particular order):
1. Focus more time and energy on the church and its people
2. Physically rest
3. Exercise as much as I would like (lack of time has prevented this in the past)
4. Spend more time deep in prayer
5. Spend more time deep in scripture
6. Read for pleasure
7. Write for pleasure
8. Focus on planning my future with Alayna

I am sharing this with you because I want to share the amazing things that God is doing in my life! I covet your prayers in this season, as I blindly walk into His will for my life! The future is wide open to me, but I am so thankful He knows my path.