How I got "here" - Part 2
I began sharing my journey with you yesterday because today is my anniversary with you, my family at hyde park. And being that I begin my 10th year today, I thought I'd share how I "really" got here... (if you missed yesterday, check it out 1st).
- March '97 - While I was at church, John David Coxe walked up to me and asked me if I wanted to go to this thing called Promise Keepers. He said a bunch of the guys from church were going and thought I would like it. Honestly, the thought of going off with church guys was not that appealing to me at the time, but on the other hand, for the 1st time in my life I felt accepted at church because they invited me to do something besides sit in their pews.
- Late March '97 - this guy named Brian (everybody called him "dog" for obvious reasons) got saved. Big deal? This dude was a huge construction type tough guy - he would get high and beat people up for fun (seriously). When he got saved he was crying and snot was running all on his clothes... and i'm like, "you gotta be kidding me - that guy got saved?!?" It messed me up.
- April 13th, 1997 - after service, on a sunday morning, I was hanging out. Everyone was gone except Keyna, Madison, the pastor, his wife, and myself. I wanted to get saved but I wasn't gonna walk down in front of everybody. He obviously sensed it and asked me, "mike - if you died tonite do you think you'd go to heaven?". "i hope so" was my reply because I didn't know if i was saved or not as I had been praying that prayer every sunday for weeks and trying to turn my life over to God. He said, "would you like to know so?" and the rest is history. We all, including my baby girl got down on our knees as I invited Jesus in. No tears. No feeling. But I was serious. And God immediately began to grow me.
- June 6, '97 - i went to that "guys thing". One prayer on my way to meet them - "God, take away my addictions this weekend and make me who You want me to be". I threw a pack of cigarettes out the window and never bought or smoked another - i became free that weekend of my past. One thing that happened: on friday nite, as they gave the altar call, thousands walked down the isle and when I saw that, Jesus burned within me and I knew that "THIS" had something to do with the way I would spend the rest of my life. I came home a different man.
- the next 18 months were a whirlwind of me serving, singing, preaching, teaching, learning and growing. I knew within the 1st 6 months that I was called (or at least I thought that was what god was saying to me).
- Spring '99 - I was broken. Frustrated. Confused. I knew (or at least i thought i did - i was beginning to doubt myself) that God had told me that this would be my last year at McFadyen Music and by the fall I would be serving a church in the ministry. Nothing was happening. Nothing. Matter of fact, my former pastor had given my name to a guy who was looking for a music minister but even he had never called. His name was Hubert. Hubert did nothing with the number because he figured "if the guy was worth anything he would know about him - after all, he lives right here in Lumberton." That's funny.
- May '99 - my pastor calls me one morning and asks, "did that guy ever call you?". "No." i said. "I'm gonna call Dennis - I've known him a while, and tell him he needs to call you." "NO!!" i insisted, "I'M NOT INTERESTED IN GOING TO A CHURCH LIKE HYDE PARK!". I said that because I had been pretty hurt where I was at and figured hyde park was just the same. I wanted to go to a church that was like we are now. "I'm calling him!" he said as he hung up before I could protest.
- 10 minutes later he calls me back, "Dennis wants you to call him." "Man, I told you..." "just call the man! Love you - bye!" and he hung up. So I called Pastor Dennis.
we hit it off on the phone. He asked if the chairman of his committee could call me - I said sure. When he called me I was driving so I pulled off the road at I95 exit 49 so I could concentrate on this call. All of a sudden, my heart was already changing toward this church i knew nothing about...
We hit it off also. Oh yeah, by the way, the guy was hubert (you know, the guy that blew me off! We still joke about that one!).
2 days later a meeting. Awesome. 1 Month later - a meeting with those involved with music. 2 weeks later - a tearful goodbye to a church that I poured my heart into...
...and here we are. I'm a different man. I know it. And you're different too. I love hyde park - I love serving you and I love serving with you! The things that you and I have seen and experienced are tremendous and we've seen God bless in ways that many pastors see in a lifetime. You know, I believe we've only begun to see and experience the things that God has in store for us. Thank you for allowing me to serve you and sharing this journey with me. Here's to many, many more! I love you, my friends.
Mike P


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