Life a Weblog for Young Adults

One Christmas, Jenny Williams sponsored a child from the Angel Tree program. Like many of us, Jenny gathered gifts for her little girl and took them to the Salvation Army. After staring at the packages for all the children, Jenny thought beyond December. She worried how Angel Tree families made it the rest of the year. Specifically, Jenny wondered how disadvantaged children celebrated birthdays — a big deal to every child. “If the parents are financially struggling during Christmas, birthdays probably present hard times as well,” she reasoned. At age 16, Jenny took these concerns to her parents who pushed her to do something about it.

It wasn’t until the next morning at church that we had a real conversation. She piped in, “Listen, I’m praying for you. I’m praying for your work situation.” I wondered how she knew that I was in the interview process or that work was a matter of prayer in my life. Standing there talking to Charlotte, I began to think, I wish I were that in tune with the Holy Spirit. I wish I were less self-absorbed and more aware of other people’s needs. At that moment I decided I needed to know more of Charlotte.

It is with something of an obsession that I’ve written Interrupted. There is no other message, no competing subject, nothing else but this extraordinary story God recently wrote into our script. This is the unplugged version of how God interrupted our typical American life and sent us in a direction we couldn’t even imagine. If I seem to have tunnel vision, all I can say is that’s what happens when God shouts in your face and demands entire life change. I am fixated, and the only objective as central as living out this new mandate is mobilizing others to join me.

I play music for a living. I love listening to music—Travis, Keane, David Crowder—I love them all. Britney Spears? Not so much. Yesterday, I impulsively purchased a newspaper (large sheets of paper with the latest news inked on the surface, so 1980s). There on the front page was an article about how Britney spends her income. Is that really a front-page worthy story? But I admit, I couldn’t look away; I was captivated.

Britney spends more than $16k on clothes. Over $100k is spent on entertainment and gifts. She tosses $500 to charity and mission organizations. It seems crazy! As much as I’d love to rip Britney, the truth is, she is American. She spends her money like you and I do. In America we spend on ourselves, and though her scale of spending may be different, she’s a lot like each of us.

The words of Jesus in Luke 14:27 are a difficult pill to swallow as Jesus is addressing a large crowd about the cost of being his disciple. When I read this passage of scripture I am amazed and convicted at how I have reduced the cost of discipleship. Following long and hard after Jesus is not easy.

I chewed. Plain and simple. Using smokeless tobacco was a popular pastime in my rural hometown, even though I had been well warned of its dangers. As I worked on the farm during the summer, tobacco was a diversion from my task in the fields—and I embraced it. It wasn’t long before I couldn’t quit.