I am a 30-something husband, father, and follower of Jesus. I am passionate, driven and can have a fiery temper – the good, the bad and the ugly, in that order. I have a deep sense of justice, am angry at the state of the world, and long to in some way effect a change that has meaning. As a general principle, I like to facilitate, to enable, and to be a catalyst, much more than I like being trust in the lime-light.
I want to take my part in the story in which I find myself: a story infinitely bigger than I am, with eternal consequence and immediate significance. I want to help others take their part in that same story. I want to take hold of the full life I have been promised and to count myself among the forceful men who will lay hold of the Kingdom of God; and I want to lead my family to those places with me, enabling and empowering them to take hold of those same things for themselves.
In short, I want to live a big life.
On a more tangible level, I love to see the smiles on my children’s faces, the twinkle in my wife’s eye when something warms her soul, and I love to dream of all that the future may hold for each one of us as individuals, and collectively as a family.
I love the smell of summer rain, the sounds of a spring evening. I love to stand and watch God’s handiwork in all its glory: the creatures of the earth, the birds of the sky, mountains and the forests inbetween; all of it too incredible to comprehend, but so often missed because the pace of life is such that it passes us by. And I love to let the aroma of great coffee take me to far off places in my mind.
I love technology – especially al things Apple – and I mean all things Apple. I love music – punk, indie, alternative, gothic, grunge and metal, in particular, with a bit of accoustic and blues thrown in from time to time. I love movies – ones with more story and less blood. I love to eat out – and would love to do it more (thanks for making that impossible, government of the day), and I like to take a vacation somewhere – anywhere – far from here. And when funds permit, I love to take a trip to Anfield and watch the the Mighty Reds play ball. Oh, and I love coffee – a lot.
But for all that normality, I long for more. I know I am part of a story so much bigger than me that I am little more than a syllable on a page. But I know that as a syllable I am important, and by taking my place on that page I can bring new meaning to a word, and thus to a sentence, even to a whole section of a story. I long to find my place on that page.
I have a rage deep inside, a frustration with no outlet, a longing that makes me want to explode: a longing to see the captives walk to freedom, the poor step into prosperity, the sick get up and walk, and the broken hearted made whole again. I want to see communities revived: see love fall upon the unloved, hope surround and engulf the desperate, and faith infect the faithless.
I want to see the Kingdom right here, right now; but I don’t just want to see it – I don’t want to be a spectator – I want to play my part – the part God has carved out for me – in making that happen, and be right in the thick of it when it comes. And I want to help others take their parts and step off the sidelines and into the game.
Yep, I want to live a big life.
