Previous Statements.

These are some of the previous statements that people have told me in the last three-four years my life.


"You are going to do great things"


"You could be the next great thinker of our time"


"You are gifted"


"You are great at making people and events successful."


"When you talk people, just seem to listen"


While these are great statements and I am encouraged by them I need to let the world know one thing.


I am a child of God.


Most people would of course say, "Well yea, Alison, everyone is a child of God"


But I need to make this clear so that I know it and so everyone else knows. I am a child of God first. My identity is hidden in Christ and in His story. Everything that you see in me is Him. Everything good that comes from me is from Him.

While it would be great to do great things in the future all I am trying to do is figure out how to live a life hidden in Christ. I'm trying to figure out how to love unconditionally. I'm trying to figure out how to serve unconditionally. I am trying to figure out how to just be in the presence of God without actually trying.

These things are what are important to me. These things make my life what it is.

I had a conversation with a parent of a student that I mentor last weekend. She was asking me what I wanted to do after I graduated college. I knew this parent would expect some long planned out list of where I am going to go and what I am going to do, but I didn't have that.

I don't know where I will be in two years. I don't know where I will be in ten years. I don't know where I will be next week.

For a long time I had dreams to do things in student ministry, to preach at big conferences, and to impact the world hugely for Christ.

I still want to impact the world hugely for Christ but I want to do it behind Him and with Him. I told this parent that I am going to follow Christ and wherever I end up that's where I will end up as long as I have Christ by my side, in front of me, behind me, above me, and below me.

The parent walked away shocked. I could see on her face that she thought I was nuts. Actually my first response was humor. I cracked up. When the humor faded I realized that it is crazy to think that I am planning my whole future on something that many people call foolish.

Call me crazy then.