He Created You

Happy Friday (on a Beautiful Sunday):

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day, that your last two weeks have been fulfilling and that you are having a wonderful weekend!

It has been an incredible last couple of weeks for the Haslam's. Last weekend I had the honor & privilege of going with Payton on his Official Visit for football to Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD. It was truly an incredible trip, really an incredible last two weeks, on so many levels - walking by faith, quality time with my son, having my son look me dead in the eye again and asking, "am I making a good decision?"...knowing full well that he is going to base what is quite possibly the biggest decision of his life to this point on how you answer, etc. On Wednesday Payton fulfilled a dream, and activated the next chapter of his life, when he signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at Black Hills State University. So many thoughts, so many emotions- the sacrifice, the commitment, the hopes, the dreams, the prayers, the realization that our journey together is getting ready to change profoundly...praying and believing that God has and is preparing us both. There is a joy and peace in my Spirit that goes beyond explanation. God is good.

Earlier this week I was listening to the radio and I heard a song I had not heard before. I have Googled part of the lyrics trying to find the song and the artist without success. Let me give you the jest of it; the song is talking about the hurt, the brokenness, the pain, the problems in the world and the singer is asking God what He is doing or what He is going to do about it. The answer comes in the statement, "He created you." The lyrics hit me like a 2 x 4 against the back of the head...just another scar!

"What Will Your Influence Be...?" started with this revelation for me a little more than 2 1/2 years ago. I was driving to Tucson, thinking about and talking to God about all of the pressures & challenges that coaches & athletes specifically, and young people in general, face on a daily basis. Negative pressures & influences are everywhere...you don't have to search for them - they search for you. From pop ups on computers & smart phones, to commercials on TV, lyrics to songs on radio, themes of television programs, articles in magazines & newspapers...negativity, or negative influences, are pervasive. As I was bemoaning all of these negative influences my Spirit screamed to me, "What are you doing about it?" Well, the answer, sadly, was nothing. I was aware of it, it troubled my Spirit greatly, however I was not actively doing anything about it. The conversation with God changed. This whole thought of "What Will Your Influence Be...?" was the topic of conversation the rest of the trip to and from Tucson and it chewed up a majority of the time during my workouts as God and I hashed through the burden He had placed on my heart. Out of this was born the covenant with God to first seek intentional, positive influences in my life - being intentional about what I let speak to my heart, to fill my well if you will - and second, to provide an intentional, positive influence for others. This then led me to do several things; each morning, after reading my Bible and praying - seeking Him, His knowledge & wisdom, after studying leadership and after writing a note to my wife and sons, I place a quote/thought on Facebook and Twitter. I also write this blog once a week - sharing whatever God has placed on my heart that week. I don't think I have all the answers, actually I am very aware of many of my failures & shortcomings, and with this I do not feel compelled to tell others how they should live their lives. I simply believe that like me everyone - everyone! - has great strengths, gifts, talents & abilities, and like me everyone has weaknesses, fears, faults & failures. Instead of speaking words of death, lies or gossip, I strive to speak words of life, truth and hope. We all get kicked in the gut sometimes, we all worry, we are all afraid. We are all going to put our faith in someone or something. We are all going to chase...something. The burden of my heart is that people would see the greatness that is within them, that they would strive to be all that they were created to become, to encourage, empower & equip them to be all that they are created to become. This is why I believe He created me.

Why did He create you? What is the problem, the challenge that burdens your Spirit? What is it that makes you say "Why God?" or "What are you doing about it God?" Quite possibly Friend the answer is that He created you. There is a reason that you carry the burden that you carry...and can I tell you from experience Friend, the burden will chase you until you answer it's call. I am reminded of the Mother Teresa quote, "I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things." You see, my burden isn't necessarily yours nor is yours necessarily mine. Each of us however is equipped by God to meet, through Him, the great burden that He has placed on our hearts. Both of those last two statements are actually Biblical by the way.

Howard Thurman said, "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." This is the challenge, the hope really, that I have for each of us. That we would find, and most importantly pursue, what makes us come alive. You see, many - perhaps most - of us know what the answer is however we are too busy trying to please the world or hiding in fear that we do not come alive. Let's come alive and realize that He created us for a purpose, a purpose for which he has perfectly equipped us to fulfill.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great Sunday, enjoy the rest of your weekend and please cherish your precious families.

Kev