TeenMania was a season of grace for me like none other. Even after leaving the internship, almost four years later I still think of my three years at the ministry on a daily basis. Many of the stories I share with my girlfriend often start off with, “This one time at TeenMania…”
Of the number of stories I recall at TM, the one that sticks with me the most was not an integral part of the internship, but something I committed to doing while there. During my third year I trained to run a full marathon in Dallas. I liken the sum of my whole experience with TM to my training and race. I recall the endless dedication it took to train, the number of days I had to dig down deep to get up and go run, and the purging of poor dietary choices. Walking with God while in Texas was like this. I had to be dedicated to Christ. I had to commit to pursue him. Often while running I would think to myself that I was ‘chasing after Christ.’ Some days were harder than others. I had to keep the vision of what I was doing before me. It was a season of grace. As I pursued the Lord, God blessed me and responded. Most importantly, what I realized is that God was the one actually pursuing me. His pursuit of me meant seeking to live a holy life. As I recalled the need to eat healthy during my training, there was a sense that I needed to feed on what was truly good for my soul. We may see movies or music or something else as that which we need to discontinue feeding on; but rather than looking at it like that, it was the need to ‘feed’ on good things. Christ is the true bread of life. He, himself, is what I truly needed.
I feel this is my story. This is the sum of three years I spent on TeenMania’s campus. It was training to run a race that required my all. I had to be radical. I couldn’t cut corners. I couldn’t afford to not run. I had to properly nourish my body. Responding to God’s call to run the race with endurance was one of the best decisions of my life. God blesses those to respond to the call, and gives grace to those dedicated to train for the race.