I spent the majority of my years as a student in obscurity, afraid my stuttering would embarrass me in some way. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I began to become relevant, serving on student council, volunteering to help build the class float for homecoming and reaching out to individuals throughout the school. Whether popularity makes you relevant or not, I came into my own as a human being, with the highlight turning my parents basement into a nightclub for one Christmas evening during my freshmen year of college.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? – James 2:14
In the years that followed, inconsistency is the best term that describes my life. I had my moments in the spot light, playing sand volleyball at Geauga Lake in its hey day, serving as a journalist for Travel Golf Media and store manager of Michael Jordan Golf at O’Hare International Airport. However, I consider these personal accomplishments, not something that makes you relevant. The best way to explain relevance is by quoting Larry the Cable Guy, ” get ur done!” Yet, what if you invest your time and energy into things that are trivial?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead, James 2:17.
From an eternal perspective, my most relevant year was 1993. I spent the first portion at a youth ministry trade school called Tentmaker’s, fine tuning my spiritual gifts. The next three months involved applying this new found knowledge as a counselor and teacher at a boarding school for career underachieving junior high students. The final six months of 93 were my finest, serving as a youth pastor in Columbus, Indiana. These days were the epitome of relevance, meeting my wife to be in the final month of this year. Yet, for now, I struggle to find relevance, distracted by the stress of life. Although its nice to reminisce from time to time, its never to late to become relevant again. May we all strive to find our place in this world so that our deeds, faith and work will not be done in vain.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 