It's really weird for me to say that I'm a missionary. Honestly growing up I never thought that I would be going into full time ministry. Up until about six months ago everything in my life was pointing me towards a career in Hollywood. I was chasing a dream that I had since I was a Junior in high school. Everything seemed to line up for me:
1. Got onto the television show at school
2. Got into a college that would allow me to major in film while also studying the Bible
3. Got into an awesome study abroad program in Hollywood.
4. Through my internship from the study abroad program I got a job with Marvel.
God seemed to be opening doors for me to pursue my ultimate dream, which was to be an influential director in the world of film. But I had blinders on.
God had also opened up doors for me to be very involved at school. He allowed me to be a barnabas leader, an asb media director, an entertainment writer for the newspaper, a choir member, a stuntman (I don't like referring to myself as a cheer leader lol), and a Resident Assistant. I wasn't looking at the big picture. I thought I was but I wasn't. He opened up doors for me to go to Korea and Thailand. He started a passion in my heart for missions and college students that I didn't quite see yet, my blinders were on.
He introduced me to the love of my life, a woman who grew up in the mission field, and had a passion and understanding of missional living that I didn't quite understand yet. A woman whose family that understands what Jesus was saying when he said "go into the world and make disciples". I saw her love for other cultures and other people but hadn't completely figured out the impact it would have on my life, my blinders were on.
I moved to Hollywood. Started working for Marvel. My first industry job was pretty cool. Got to meet alot of actors and actresses, work with artists who worked on the shows I grew up watching. My boss was the creator of the original Batman and original Ninja Turtles shows, two shows that practically defined my Saturday mornings for almost a decade. I was surrounded by other dreamers. People still chasing the dream of fame and fortune. I started to see that many of them weren't happy. Despite the big pay checks and their apparent dream job they weren't happy. I saw this a little in myself. Why wasn't I happy? I was doing everything I thought I wanted to do, my blinders were still on.
I married Bethany Christian (now Allen) on September 4, 2010. Best day of my life. She was everything I was looking for and God knew that. We moved into our first apartment in West Covina. I started the grueling commute from West Covina to Burbank everyday. An hour and a half there, and an hour and a half back. It started to wear on me. Life started to get heavy. Things at work weren't always fun. My three best friends David Taylor, Jeremy and Kelsey Navarro had moved away, I missed them like crazy, but understood God had plans for them elsewhere, but I was selfish and wanted them here. I started to feel like I was going nowhere. I thought I was becoming one of those people who just simply "checks out". My blinders were on.
They say that God can change your life in one moment. The world has seen this so many times through history, especially in the Bible. Saul on the road to Damascus becomes Paul, one of the greatest men the church has known. An uneducated fisherman, Peter, becomes the rock that the church was started on. Jesus called him and said "Come with me and become fishers of men". I loved that line, so epic. What if he hadn't followed. So many people's lives would have been affected by his choice not to follow. God decided to change my life December 17, 2010.
I went into work that Friday ready for the weekend. Fought my way through LA traffic and sat down at my desk around 9:30am. Around noon I got a call to go to my producers office. I walked down the hall and peeked in, she smiled at me and waved for me to come in and sit down. Then she said it like a seasoned pro, like she had done this hundreds of times before, "I'm sorry but we are going to have to let you go". My world started to crash down around me. Anger, sadness, and confusion flooded over me all at once. I held my composure, thanked her for all the opportunities she had given me and walked out of the office back to my desk. I was mad at everyone, even God there for a moment. My blinders were on.
As I sat at my desk reality sunk in, I was going to be unemployed in a job market that had stunk for 2 years running. I mentally panicked, wondering what I was going to tell Bethany and how I was going to provide for her. Then I knew, all I could do was pray. My prayer went something like this:
"God, you do everything for a reason. You have opened up many doors for me so far. Please, over these next few weeks or months, show me where you want me to go, tell me what you want me to do."
Sometimes I think God laughs at us. This was one of those times. I think God was laughing at me, thinking "Just wait a few more minutes Michael, cause I got everything under control".
And he did....
Not 40 minutes after I lost my job my cell phone rang, and a man from Campus Crusade for Christ offered me a position at the University of Arkansas to start a film ministry. Of all things in the world he wanted me to start a film ministry!
Speechless. That's what I was.
God ripped off my blinders and screamed at me "Look what I've been planning for you!"
My view was so limited, and His view was so UNlimited. I couldn't see the big picture, and I'm sure that even this new job is only the corner of a canvas that God has painted for Bethany and I.
He changed my life in one moment, one phone call. All along I thought I would go into film and do ministry through film and God said
"You've got it backwards"
"You're going to go into ministry and use your gifts, talents, and passion for film to proclaim my name around the world!"
We have plans for our lives, but He has bigger ones. Ones we simply can't see.
I'm proud. I'm proud to have a God that is so much bigger than I could ever imagine. I'm proud to follow a God who has a vision so incredible for each and every one of us. I had my blinders on, but God tore them off and said
"Stop trying to see and understand everything I do, and let me show you what I can do".
I'm proud to be a missionary.
