I am so incredibly proud of Daniel Murch. He texted me late last night, "I am starting to realize that the cost of leadership has a lot of responsibility that goes along with it. I am just realizing that there is a price to be pay for everything you do and the greatest price is responsibility. I mean if you can trust people with small things to do and then you get more responsibilities, that will stretch your leadership skills too. I am just at a funny place. I am realizing that every opportunity is a stretching if you allow it to stretch you."
Done. I do not need to say anymore. Someone is finally getting it. There is no greater joy for a pastor. Enjoy his story:
The last few weeks since this storm has totally changed my life. It is funny how I thought I knew my calling in my life. I had always wanted to be a youth pastor, but I did not know if that was my area. I knew I was called into ministry at a youth conference. I have been at a place in my life the last few months of really searching for my calling. That was my problem I ran into. I was seeking the calling more than I was seeking the caller.
The storms came through, and I drove back to my dorm that night after everything had settled down a little bit. As I was driving through the city of Cleveland my heart started to sink. I knew whatever happened was not like any other storm that Cleveland had ever seen before. My brother even called and told me not to leave once I get to my dorm. I knew it was bad! I really wanted to get out and help that night but after the stories my brother told me I was happy I was not out there.
The next day I got a phone call from the church asking if I could come and help prepare meals for the people who lost everything. I was like people lost everything in Cleveland. We don’t get really bad weather in Cleveland. After the lunch I went to Ella drive off of Dalton Pike to meet Pastor Craig. He was out there helping families. I could not believe my eyes! I saw houses completely gone. I was not ready for everything that I was going to see the next two weeks. It is funny how two weeks can change your life. A friend of mine started to help get the relief efforts started. Even before the other agencies could get to us, they were already setting up relief centers in different areas. It is crazy the donations and volunteers that started to flood in. The relief center that I was at the most was Dalton Pike. It reached a lot of people right behind the relief center. I got to know some people and even hear people tell their stories. The longer I stayed out there, the longer my heart got burdened. Something was going on deeper inside of me, more like a drawing of my heart. The last day that we had to shut down I was not able to be there because I had to go to Nashville with my brother.
That Monday night my heart was crushed. We were told to shut down but so many needs still needed to be met. I went to ELEVATION prayer and as soon as I walked in, I just started to weep. I could not pray, I just wept. I had never felt such a burden for something in my life. I could not do anything but weep over the people I pictured in my head. Pastor Craig came and prayed a prayer over me and it was right on point. After he got done praying another really good friend of mine said he felt the same way while I was helping with the disaster relief.
Basically my calling is not what I thought it was. It is far beyond what I thought it was. I know I am called to help hurting people but not from the pulpit. I am at an overwhelming time in my life. I don’t want to say I am ready for anything, because I know I am far from being ready. I can say I am excited to see what happens next!
Daniel Murch
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