Training Ground

 You were created for a purpose. God has to train us and equip us for those purposes. Dr. Henry Blackaby wrote that God has to grow our character to match His assignments. You might find yourself in training ground right now for something else. Moses and David were both shepherds. That was training ground for them to become shepherds over the nation of Israel. 

I got to write for our high school newspaper. I also wrote a poem for school that was published in our local newspaper. Those were training grounds for my writing ministry today. I found a box of books I had stored away and forgotten about in an isolated room in the church. Yesterday, I rummaged through the box to see what books were in there. To my surprise I found a couple of unexpected ones. 

I came across my very first book. I assure you it is not what you are thinking. It is a 5"x7" spiral bound booklet printed on the copier at my home church. The title of the book is Swimming In The Bathtub" Words of Meditation and Inspiration. Some college students and I stayed up all night to make copies and bind that book together. It is total of 55 pages. Sadly, I did not include a date for the book. I know it was somewhere between 1998 and 2000. Very humbled beginnings to a writing ministry. No book tour. No book signings. No fancy book cover. Just a simple copied blue card stock cover. It brings back fond memories. 

I remember the time and place where God convicted me to take my love of writing and use it for ministry. I have been writing ever since. My books include: Only Believe (currently be rewritten and expanded), Life On The Altar, Behold The Faithfulness of God, 40 Days To Shake The City, Weeping For A Night, and Prayer: Ministry From The Secret Place. 

English classes and the high school newspaper staff were all training ground for a writing ministry. I did not start out preaching as a pastor in a church. It all started with a seven minute message to about a dozen students at Woodlawn Baptist Church in Lufkin, TX. That was followed by a summer preaching on Lake Sam Rayburn. I spent a summer as a youth intern in Lutz, FL and another in Atlanta, GA. I took on an eighth grade boys Sunday school class while in seminary. Rochelle Baptist Church called me to be their youth minister while I was in college. They ordained me. I also served Spring Creek Baptist Church as youth pastor before jumping into pastoral ministry. All of those were training ground for the next assignment. 

What is God training you for? I believe He is still training me for something. I spent years volunteer coaching my sons when they were young. That also stretched into some summer workouts with them and their friends. I never dreamed that would lead to a career in coaching. Here I am known as Pastor Matt part of the week and Coach Edwards the rest of the week. 

No matter our age, education level, or experience, God has plans to use us. We must be equipped and trained to match the assignment He has for us. I do not know what that assignment is for you. You may be in a less than desirable position currently. You may not enjoy this season. If you change your mind and attitude you can see this as training ground for something special. Training ground is not always pleasant. Training ground can be very unpleasant. 

I am reading the book Junction Boys when Paul Bear Bryant took his first Texas A&M football team to Junction, TX for training camp. It was a brutal hellish experience for those young men. Bryant berate them, pushed them, and nearly killed some of them in the oppressive Southwest Texas heat. Many did not make it through camp and snuck out at night to find rides back home. Those that survived the camp were a formidable opponent. The training ground was not pleasant, but the actual games were. 

What is God preparing you for? What is He training you to do or become? Only He knows. There are still lessons to be learned. There are still skills to sharpen. There are talents to master and gifts to develop to be fully useful in God's hands. Training grounds have their purpose. Persevere and one day all that training will be used in ways you could never fathom.