Who Am I

Who am I? Matt Edwards. To be more specific, Jay Madison "Matt" Edwards. Matt was my great grandfather's name he went by, though he was named Madison. I was named after him. Now you know the rest of the story. 

I was born in Lufkin, TX. I nearly died at birth because something blocked my airway from breathing. I was taken for an emergency procedure to save my young life. God ordained my conception, birth, and living. 

 I grew up with a fierce passion for sports. I often played by myself. I set up an obstacle course in my back yard pretending I was a running back. I circled pine trees, jumped a wheel barrel, spun around the picnic table, dodged other imaginary tacklers and sprinted to the makeshift end zone. I played with my pitchback net fielding pop flies and grounders for hours. My grandfather gave me my first ball glove. What a treasured gift. He taught me to catch. 

I achieved some relative success in sports, but not in baseball. I could never hit. Sports was my passion. Football to be more specific. I hung on the Dallas Cowboys with Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Robert Newhouse, Ed Jones, Randy White and Harvey Martin. 

 I met Jesus as my Savior in 1983 as a junior in high school. He made a way for me get a football scholarship and play football at Howard Payne University where I met the love of my life Brenda Ortiz. She has been my bride for 30 years now. He called me to preach the summer after I graduated high school. Howard Payne offered a Bible degree. 

I have served numerous churches in full time ministry. Mostly small churches in small towns. I tried to plant a church twice and failed miserably. Neither exists today. I wrote a few books that you will never find on a book shelf in a store. 

I am a husband and father of four. I am a pastor, author, revival preacher, and passionate follower of Jesus. 

Who am I? 

 I awoke to seek the LORD this morning in a recliner in the bedroom. I yearned for God to speak to me. I longed to hear from Him. A scripture came to mind. Along with the scripture the thought penetrated my mind, "Who are you? Who are you to seek the Lord?"

From reading Psalm 8, I am reminded God's name is the most majestic in all the earth. He has displayed His splendor in the heavens. The heavens are the work of his fingers with just a spoken word. He ordained the moons, stars and planets. In comparison, who am I to have audience with Him?

He is a great King. I am a peasant of no noble birth. He is Master. I am the servant. He is Creator. I am the creation. He is the Potter. I am the clay. He is Savior. I am the sinner who needed salvation. He is Teacher. I am the student. He is accomplished beyond comprehension. I am an ordinary unaccomplished person. I bring nothing to the table. He does not need me, but I most certainly need Him. 

Why would He ever desire audience with me? Who am I to come into His presence? It is mind boggling to think such a great God chooses to make Himself available and accessible to me. To us. 

The weight of those thoughts ushered me to great humility to ask myself again, "Who am I?" 

Why would God ever be interested in anything I have to say? Why would He ever listen or consider my requests? I am so ordinary and He is so extraordinary. 

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 8:4, What is man that you take thought of him, and the son of man that you take care of him.

The answer to the Psalmist's question and mine is even more mind bending. He chooses to love us and relate to us. That is hard to fully comprehend. He does not need us. God is self sufficient. Though we serve Him, He does not need anything that He cannot do for Himself. He loves us. Let that sink in. The Creator of the Universe loves us. He proved it. Read Romans 5:8 to see how. 

What a great reminder. Who am I? A child of God. Loved, redeemed, wonderfully and fearfully made, forgiven, a grace recipient of grace and mercy, and one welcomed to come to the throne of grace. The truth of it all overwhelms me. I hope it does the same for you. Child, you are loved by Your Heavenly Father. Who are you? His child, if you have repented of sin and trusted Jesus as Savior.