Flying Vomit & First Day

Tomorrow, June 1st, is a big day in my life. Why?

Eleven years ago on May 27th my wife and I moved all our stuff down to our new townhouse in Virginia Beach. Our friends, Joe and Amy, were getting married in Baltimore on May 31, so we drove up to Baltimore on Friday, May 30th for the rehearsal. We attended the wedding and reception on the 31st. Then we started the drive back to Virginia Beach, this time there would be no going back – it felt more for real.

It was on that drive, somewhere near Richmond, and sometime past midnight – so early on June 1st – that Mr. Jones came on the radio and, hearing Adam Durtiz sing, “Help me to believe in something, because I don’t believe in anything, and I want to be someone who believes” – I threw up out the window, and all over my wife. (You can read all about this in the “Mission” chapter in my book.)

That day, June 1st, was also my first day on the “payroll” of Forefront Church. (So tomorrow is my eleven year anniversary of working for Forefront!) Getting on the payroll mean that I was the pastor of … no people. We didn’t know a single person who lived in Virginia Beach and had no people interested in joining our church. I wish I could remember what I did on my first day, but I can’t. I think mostly I probably sat around thinking, “Oh crap! What have I done?!? I gave up a good job to be the pastor of nobody!” and praying, “God, we’re in trouble here. You’ve got to do something.”

In fact, that whole first day stressed me out so much, on June 2nd I took my first vacation.

(Just kidding)

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