For those of you that don’t know me or know little about me, my name is Jonathan Harris. I am what has come to be called an average Joe… Perhaps an “average Jon”, if you will. At the turn of my nineteenth birthday I was a lost confused youth who hadn’t much passion for life. My goals in life were set in front of me by my culture. I was told that to be someone valued you must have a passion for wealth, popularity, and success so naturally I was quite low on the charts of value. I looked at myself and saw a skinny, unconfident, directionless 19 year old. People looked at me and saw the same. I thought life really was as people quote: “life sucks then you die.”
This is me in my backyard
Now you may think I will bring in Jesus and everything will all the sudden change and I’ll have all those qualities that I needed in order to be valued… But it’s just not true. Jesus didn’t come to me and tell me that He would make this life all better and I would never have to deal with my insecurities again. He didn’t even tell me that I would have anything thisworld values. All he did was come to me. He said to me, “Jon, you’ve seen where your own efforts and understanding have got you. Come to me and I’ll show you something… different.” Perhaps not an exact quote, but ever since then my life has been ruined toward the world. I no longer desire that which I was told is necessary in order to have value. I no longer make sense to the world.
Sometimes it gets to me. Sometimes I try to impress those around me by getting back into those culturally valuable things, but as it is soon found out I have nothing impressive to offer. The Lord smiles down on me and says, “Jon, come on back… you know where you value is now. Stop trying to be someone impressive and follow my lead.”
I no longer have much to offer this world but this relationship that consumes my thoughts. How much would I be missing out on if I didn’t believe it was true? Will the creator of all really come through? Will He really provide? Will He really do what He says He will do in His word? Because if He does then I haven’t a thing to worry about. I haven’t a thought of where my worldly value is to come from. In fact I no longer belong to this world if what He says is true… My life is a search. I want to know if God is really true to his word. I want to know what happens to a life that doesn’t trust in Christ half way, but all the way.
Jon, from the first time I’ve met you it was clear to me that you are special, you had something no one around you had – no luggage.
There was a room full of wonderful respectful people and yet, you were noticeable among them. You were a free young man, it seemed you didn’t care about what the whole world had have cared.
this is where your freedom was – no heavy load to meet expectations of others.
you were holding desire for freedom perhaps without knowing it, and God’s hand around you to protect it.
I know you’ll never be satisfied with standart living, it is not for you, and I also know that the Lord has His plan to use your unique abilities to see life from different perspective and let you apply them.
After His training, of course.
Love you in Christ.