When I was a kid, I always had a passion for writing and video production. Unfortunately, some of my teachers didn't share my enthusiasm. I actually remember a parent-teacher conference where one of my teachers told my parents that I probably ought to transfer out of creative writing and take wood shop or something instead. Dude, that hurt. Broke my little heart.
So I did what any disappointed kid might do. I cried in my little corner, kicked dirt for a while, and felt sorry for myself. But you know what I didn't do? Stop creating.
As I got older, the same thing kept happening, just on a grander scale. There was always somebody ready to tell me I wasn't good enough, that I should try something else, or that maybe I just wasn't cut out for what I wanted to do. And you know what? I kept repeating the same behavior. I'd go cry in my corner, kick a little dirt, and then get right back to doing whatever I was doing before somebody told me I couldn't.
I've asked myself many times why I keep doing this. Conventional wisdom might suggest I should have quit a long time ago. Maybe become a baker or something. 😂 But there's something inside me that simply won't stop. It's in my heart. It's practically in my DNA. If I'm not creating, something feels unfinished. Like there's a mission I'm supposed to complete.
And what exactly is that mission? Is it writing books? Producing music? Building websites? Making videos? No. Those are just the things I do along the way.
What keeps me going, what fills my heart, and what keeps me moving toward that finish line is Yah. It's loving the Father. It's loving the Son. It's believing in the transformation of people into something new. It's the promise that those who love Him are being transformed into His likeness. That's what keeps me moving forward, because if this were entirely dependent upon my own strength, I probably would have given up a long time ago.
So don't be surprised when everything I create, whether it's a book, a song, a podcast, an article, or some random thought I share here on The Back Porch, somehow leads right back to Him. That's where my true strength comes from, and I'm not afraid to share it. I wish everybody knew Him the way I've come to know Him.
And I'll keep walking this path, creating whatever is placed on my heart, until the day He tells me, "That's enough, son. Rest."
Until then, I'll probably keep creating. And occasionally kicking dirt. 😂
Glory to Yah in Yehoshua's Name. Amen and Amen.
