Right Where I Am

A few weeks ago, I filled you in on this new change in our lives. If you missed it, stop by the blog to get caught up.

I have to tell you – there has been a lot of emotion wrapped up in returning to the family business. I never ever thought I would be here again. In my mind, this chapter of my life was closed fourteen years ago. As a matter of fact, I think I distinctly remember telling God I would never go back. But God has a way of turning our life upside down just when we think we’re getting comfortable and know where we’re headed. And he certainly has a sense of humor when we tell him “never.”

It’s been a stressful time getting up to speed, cleaning things up, and mentally fitting back into a role I had left behind so many years ago. And we still have much work to do. But this has also been a beautiful time being with these employees, many of whom were all a very big part of my early life. The sweet spot in all of this has been seeing how this decision has impacted the lives of those around me. It’s humbling and extremely rewarding.

I am also able to look back now and see how God has used the past fourteen years to grow me into the man he wanted me to be in order to take on this role. I am not the man now that I was then. The music journey has been instrumental (no pun intended here) in shaping me into who I am now. I have a love for these people – each of them, and a desire to make their lives better by creating a place for them to feel proud and happy to come to work every day.

The course of the last month has really brought an old song to mind. I actually wrote “Right Where I Am” some twenty years ago, when I was working at this business the first time around. It was a stressful time then too, but in an entirely different way. I actually devoted an entire chapter to the story behind this song in my book. You can also hear me talk about that point in my life in “An Evening of Story & Song.”

At that time, I knew that even though life wasn’t smooth sailing, I was exactly where God wanted me to be. And even though this change hasn’t been without trials, stresses and some serious sacrifices, I know once again, I am exactly where God wants me to be and I am fulfilling the purpose for which He created me.

I think it’s also a great message for me to hear again this Thanksgiving. I truly feel grateful to be where I am right now. There is something really comforting about knowing that you are right where you are supposed to be, doing just the thing you are supposed to do at this very point in your life. Over the past fourteen years, I have asked God a lot of “whys.” Now I can look back and see the purpose in all of them.

I know this has been such a year filled with turmoil, bad news and anxiety. Our hope is that today you will be able to sit down and count your blessings. They are there – sometimes we just have to look a little harder to realize they are blessings!