When You Say Yes, God Moves

It’s really hard to put into words what this past Sunday meant for me—and really, for all of us.

I wanted to title this “The Ordination We Didn’t See Coming,” but the truth is, I’ve always known it was coming.

She has always had a heart after God and a deep love for His Word. When she was 17, she told me, “I know I am called into the ministry.” At 18, she preached her first message and blew us all away. We just sat back and thought, “What do we do with this?”

But she was so smart. And if I’m being honest, I used to think, She’s too smart for ministry, instead of thinking, Imagine what a mind like that can do for the Kingdom of God.

But it’s not just her mind.

It’s her heart.
Her passion.
Her insatiable love for the Lord and His people.

So this past Sunday, as we gathered around Anna and those who would be helping launch our youth ministry to pray, something happened that none of us knew was coming—but God did.

Anna was ordained as a pastor.

She had just graduated from college with plans to take a gap year. Then, last month, she decided to say yes—to open doors, to trust God, and to see where He would lead.

She said yes to helping start our youth ministry, and then God began laying out every step before her.

We didn’t start planning a youth ministry months ago. The Lord literally dropped the thought into our hearts four weeks ago. And then, just like that, it all began.

And what an incredible first night it was!

But that’s what happens when we obey God. When we trust Him. When He says move and we move, HE MOVES.

And He is moving swiftly and beautifully. We are all overwhelmed by His goodness and faithfulness.

I keep saying this is going to be bigger than any of us can imagine. When I think about the lives that are going to be changed, I just weep.

Last night, Anna came home after the first night of youth and came into my room. I thought she was going to tell me how exhausted she was.

Instead, she told me how excited she is and how much she knows God is going to do.

She told me how she can’t wait to spend time with these students and do life with them outside the walls of the youth space.

Then she said:

“I can’t wait to go really deep with them. But I can’t do that until I build relationships with them. Once relationships are built, trust is built. Then the Word can penetrate their hearts and change their lives.”

That’s it.

That’s the heart of a pastor.

I don’t know exactly what the future looks like for our students, but I know this: it is beyond anything we can ask or imagine.

I am grateful.
I am amazed.
And I continue to stand in awe of what God is doing—and what He is going to do.

It’s amazing what happens when you hear God, obey Him, and then step back and watch what He does.

He is just getting started.