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Have you ever had someone push you to something greater? Have you ever had somebody see something in you that you never would have seen in yourself? Maybe it was a parent, minister, coach, friend, teacher, or mentor…

The Bible shows an awesome example of this in Exodus 3-4 when God calls Moses to something greater. God tells Moses that he is going to use him to lead the Israelites out of slavery. Moses does not see in himself what God sees because he starts to give every excuse in the book why he is not the man for this God-sized job. Nevertheless, God calls Moses to something greater that he would have never done on his own.

Yesterday I shared a story of a former college professor that pushed me to write.

Today I want to share another story.

Dave Morgan is a man that has made a significant impact on my life. He has pushed me and shaped me. He was my youth minister while I was in high school.

One day before the start of my junior year of high school, Dave invited me to play one-on-one basketball at the church one afternoon. I jumped at the chance for two reasons: (1) I got to play basketball and (2) I got the chance to beat down my youth minister, which was often the case when we played against each other (Dave, if you read this, please don’t bring up the time you and Jason beat Josh and I when he sprinted to the church that afternoon. It was a cheap win and you know it.)

Dave tricked me. Playing basketball was not the number one priority that day. In between taking jump shots, we had a heart-to-heart conversation that has forever changed the coarse of my life. 

Dave began to speak truth into my life that day. He told me that I was a leader. He said that he had noticed that people followed my lead and that I possessed a lot of leadership potential. He told me that leadership was not a choice one made. However, that the only choice I had is HOW I was going to lead, not IF I was going to lead. He challenged me to step up as a leader in our youth group. Finally, he told me that he saw gifts in me that could lead to a successful future career in ministry.

That conversation was the first seed that was planted in my heart to pursue a career in ministry. Without that conversation, I truly believe that I would not be sitting in the very chair I am sitting in while I type this post (my chair in my church office).

Dave, I want to thank you for seeing something in me that I would have never seen in myself. I was a quiet kid that cared about sports, girls, and sports, but you gave me purpose. Thanks for pushing me and making me think. You may not even remember that conversation, but God used you to forever change my life that day. Over the past five years, I have had that very same conversation with students in my ministry when I see leadership potential. I cherish our relationship. You will always be my youth minister.