Our Story

People have asked what my wife and I are doing, so I thought I’d put it on a blog post. What better way to communicate authentically? A few disclaimers – This is long. If you read it, please read the whole thing. Also, please do not read this like I am transferring it onto anyone else. This is what God is doing with us. The principles apply to all people, but it will look different for different people. It is not about doing certain things but about the perspective in all we do. The perspectives apply whether you run a business and make millions or plant churches.

It is hard to be brief and get the details in that complete the picture. It is hard because we don’t even see the whole picture yet – it’s like trying to explain what a puzzle looks like with the box missing and only half of the pieces.

I have been a Chick-fil-A Operator since the end of 2007. Near the end of 2009, my wife and I found out that our dream store was going to be built (a location we wanted to be at since before I was selected as an Operator). I was going for it with everything I had and was told I was a very viable candidate for it. Four months later, as I was sitting in the annual Operator seminar, an impression came over me while listening to a message from Bill Hybels that was unmistakable – stop pursuing that store. It came out of nowhere. Not the audible voice of God. Just a thought that was definitely not my own thought.

Deep down, there was a sickening feeling because I knew what heeding would mean. I had an immediate sense that my Chick-fil-A career, which I loved, would be ending soon. So, what did I do? I ignored it. Completely. I remember saying to God in my mind, “If that’s you God, bring it up some other time, but I don’t want to entertain the thought right now.” I fought it off and reengaged with Bill’s talk. I never told Lyndsey, woke up the next morning and literally forgot about it.

Three months later, in April, an impression came over me while I was reading a book called The Power of a Man by Rick Johnson. I had blanked out mentally for about a page and was just going to skip the part I missed. I had no idea what I had read on that page, but I wasn’t going to go back. I had a strong sense as I tried to keep reading that I needed to go back and read that section. I did. It was a short, random section where the author talked about having a successful business and then realizing the business had become his plan for his life and not God’s. He left it all and found what he called his calling. It was not an incredibly moving section. Actually, any other person reading that section would have blown right through it. But, for me, it rocked my world because I was immediately flooded with thoughts for the first time in 3 months of how I ignored the thought at seminar that I needed to not pursue my dream store.

I dropped the book and began pacing around the house. Lyndsey was out of town, so I did not have to talk to her right away. I just paced and thought and prayed. I knew I had to bring these thoughts up with Lyndsey. I brought it up the next night. We had great conversation about what God might have for our future, but we really had no idea what was going on. Over the next couple of weeks, we spent time in prayer and fasting to see what God wanted to do. The only thing that was certain at that time was that neither of us had any peace at all about pursuing our goals with Chick-fil-A. What was my dream goal in business became something that felt like complete disobedience to God. I knew I would not be pursuing the store. And, I just knew deep inside that I would not be an Operator much longer.

A few months later, in August, Corporate asked what plans Lyndsey and I had for the future (the store we were going for fell through in June after we decided we weren’t pursuing it). I told them that I had no idea what was on the horizon, but I did not think I’d be an Operator by August of the next year. Chick-fil-A is an incredible company. They recognized the tough situation we were in and walked faithfully through this with us offering support and prayer. Nothing about the company was making us think of leaving – it was a tough decision. In December of last year, I reached a point where I had to set a date to leave Chick-fil-A without anything solid on the horizon. I picked May 1st. You may wonder why I would do that with a family to provide for. Two reasons – 1. Through prayer, I knew God was calling us to leave that secure business and trust Him. God was molding our faith. Nothing promising ahead and a lot not making sense meant only He could provide. At the end of the day, God grew my belief that He cared for me like a good Father and whatever happened was within His control. He would meet needs – that may mean having much and it may mean having little. Either is fine. I think. At least, I pray He continues to mold our hearts so that either is fine. 2. Stewardship – I care deeply about the young people that worked for me and the brand of Chick-fil-A. I could not focus fully on their development and the health of the business with so much else going on. The longer I dragged on, the more they were under-served. We should handle what God entrusts to us with great care – it is His. So, we set the date with nothing ahead. At the end of the day, I know God cares about providing for us more than I do.

And now here we are. I am no longer with Chick-fil-A. I terminated my contract on May 1st. I cannot possibly spell out everything that has happened over the past year. I would have to just take pictures of every page of my journal and post them. I don’t think anyone really cares to read all of that.

Not only can I not possibly put down all the details, but I cannot fully articulate what God has done in our lives personally. I’ll take a stab at it.

Long story short, we have made decisions we never thought we would make. This past year has been difficult in some regards. But, it has been amazing in more. There have been many great lessons in this process. The first I will share relates to faith and the tangible peace that comes from God. As we were in front of decisions and prayed for God to grow our faith and direct our steps, He was faithful. He literally did. I am a planner. So, and I know nobody can relate to this, with plans gone anxiety can creep can. We prayed for faith and God gave it. He did things inside of us and in our circumstances that grew our faith and brought great peace. When Lyndsey and I first began this journey, we thought up some great things we were going to do for God. We had big ideas. Our posture was leaning towards God needing us. God doesn’t need us. There was a turning point last August when I began to realize God’s grace in my life on another level. There was a humbling experience like never before where I realized He doesn’t need me. He can call whoever He wants, use whoever He wants, whenever He wants, however He wants. He can do something with me or without me – either way it is in spite of me. I was striving up to that point with my plans. Then I realized I was a part of God’s plan. Peace.

At that point, most of the anxiety of not trusting God’s provision was gone (at least what anxiety we could see). I knew He was a good Father. I knew He was guiding. We would be fine. He would meet every need. But, there was still an uneasiness as we thought through what we might be doing. Throughout the year, many things were put in front of us. And, I still had plans and ideas. There was never peace with any one thing. In the beginning of this year, some clarity came to the deepest burden I had. I won’t get into that, because it is not the point of this post. The point is that when we get a glimpse of something God might want to do with us, truly get a glimpse, and we see that we cannot do anything apart from Him, great peace sets in. I was striving forever because I could see and understand what I wanted to do. It was feasible enough to grasp and chase. When you begin to realize that you cannot see much of the future with any certainty and you cannot understand it, you rest in the fact that it is God that holds it. We are utterly dependent on Him. Stress sets in when we depend on ourselves. It is counter-intuitive that peace grows when the plans get more daunting and we completely lose control. But, it does. And, it can only be explained by faith. It surpasses comprehension. And why does that surprise us? He promised it. Now, when talking about personal faith and calling, people may see it as admirable or arrogant. Before you see it as either, keep reading.

The last lesson, and by far the most important lesson for my life or your life, is one I never anticipated. I have served in the Church for many years in many ways. I have always been a learner, so I never had an attitude that I had arrived spiritually. I always knew I needed to learn more. I just never knew I needed to learn this more – the Gospel.

I thought I understood the Gospel. Jesus died for my sins. My belief by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone gets me to heaven. Pray the prayer. Change your life some on the way. Done.

What I knew and what so many Christians I have met in my life know to be the Gospel pales in comparison to what the Gospel actually is. The Gospel changes everything. I still do not understand it, and this is where I struggle with articulating. I’ll just look at Scripture. If you are like me, most of what you experience in this life doesn’t line up with the life change you see in Scripture. But, I am beginning to understand some of why the disciples left everything. I am beginning to see what “the truth will set you free” and “Christ set us free” means. “Life and life more abundantly” – have you ever wondered why the disciples heard that and you never see them interpret it as material blessing with the way they lived their lives? As a matter of fact, all the stuff we chase are things he refers to as encumbrances and rubbish. You see people not wanting anything but Christ in the Bible. “My grace is sufficient for you.” I think He was serious. It was not, “My grace and all else I’ll give you is sufficient.” It was not “My grace and all your plans I’ll bless”. The disciples literally counted all else as loss. They served the interests of another to the complete disregard of their own interests.

You see it in people of faith in the Old Testament who have experienced the grace and glory of God (which understanding the whole Gospel does for us) – “Whom have I in heaven but you, and earth has nothing I desire besides You.” What!? Earth has nothing worth anything!? Really? That’s just what you should say, right? You don’t actually feel that way inside, do you? I read “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”, and a small piece of me grasps that. I’ll never fully understand the Gospel. But I am beginning to see it. Why is Jesus peripheral to everything else today? Why is He mainly a means and not an end? To bless us as if enough has not already happened? Have you ever wondered why nobody tithes in the Church today, but in Acts, people sold everything they had? They didn’t have to do a campaign. They just presented the Gospel. They did not have to say God would bless them in return. They just presented the Gospel. You could argue that it is because they saw miracles and the resurrection, but that does not stand up – some people live like that today and you see it in the attitudes of people of God in the Old Testament – “We only give you that which is already yours”. My point is that the Gospel is not simply a belief that gets us into heaven. It can change everything here and now. It is the greatest thing anyone can ever hear. It needs to be heard over and over again. It does not get old. In our culture of busyness and lives of abundance, it needs to be heard more and more, not molded to fit around the other stuff.

As I share with people about what God is doing in our lives and stepping out in faith, people say it is admirable. Nothing in me should be admired. Any faith is by the grace of God. He did not call us because we were living great spiritual lives. He called in the midst of sin, in the midst of pride. He called Paul while he was living a life of killing Christians. His favor is through grace. Any gifts or talents are by grace. We can boast in nothing, and anything worth noting is Christ in us. I did not save myself. God did. I did not grow my faith. God did. He begins. He perfects.

Realizing the Gospel is the greatest thing any person can ever realize. Don’t read this next part from a glass-half-empty perspective. I’m not writing from that perspective. Why does Christianity as a whole look hardly different than non-Christianity in many ways? A lot of reasons could be thrown out. I believe the greatest by far is an incomplete understanding of the Gospel. Divorce? Poor marriages? Depression? Porn? Pride? Debt? Self-interest? Love of money? Why do we not love the Word? Why are so many believers still weary and burdened? Why do we judge so easily the sins of others? Why is it so hard for us to balance grace and truth in loving others? Jesus literally called people to leave their sin and they felt loved at the same time. It was his nature. Why is it so hard for Christians to do that today? Will we not do greater things than him? Where is the unity and love within churches and the Church? Why do we clean what’s on the outside but have hearts far from God? Why do we not care about the poor, and often even those in our church community, in the inconvenient way Christ calls us to when loads of Scripture makes it clear it is God’s heart? Across racial, political and socioeconomic lines? To the point that it is a sacrifice? Why do less than half of Christian churchgoers age 29 and under perceive the Church as a consistently loving place (unChristian, pg 185)? At the same time, why is there little acceptance of truth, a truth that is so freeing? The Gospel is not fully understood. Why so much dutiful, religious striving or such minimal life change? Hardly changed sin or self-righteousness? Why the spectrum? How could I serve in great capacity and enjoy community in the church for years without ever really seeing the life seen in Scripture in my own life? I did not fully understand the Gospel. I understood so much about it, but not the entirety of it. It wasn’t like I did not understand a great deal or was not genuine in heart. But something is different after this last year. The Gospel changes everything. The good news is so, so good. It is so freeing. The holy God looked down on hopeless, sinful people and gave his Son that we might have abundant life here and forever for His name’s sake, not by anything we can do but by what He has already done. That cannot be stressed enough in our culture – not by anything we can do but by what has already been done. None of your good earns you right standing or favor with God. Christ’s blood alone. Stop striving. Enjoy his grace. Kill your pride. It will cause you to live differently as worship and not as duty. Not for your own sake. It is finished. Love did win. The outflow of that is life lived loving God and loving others, even the least of these, for His name’s sake.

It cannot be preached enough. It cannot be heard enough. It is the only thing really worth talking about when asked what my wife and I are doing with our lives. As for what we are doing – I don’t know what the future holds. We have an incredible burden to help the Church be salt and light for the sake of the Gospel. I have an incredible burden to see the greatest servant leaders in the world bloom in the Church, people who are profoundly confident and profoundly humble. And I’d love to see that happen with unity and love on a functional level with churches serving communities and the poor within them so the world would look on and know He was the One. The picture gets clearer with time. I am very excited about what we are doing at this moment. Lyndsey and I are working with our church, an inner-city church plant called Bow Down Church, and helping with anything we can. I am spending most of my time helping an organization called Urban Youth Impact that is partnered with our church with 3 projects. All are targeted at helping inner-city youth reach their God-given potential, developing leaders and connecting the Church community to that. I love what I am doing, but it’s the reason that matters.