Roots...

Part of my journey included a trip to visit with one of my mentors. As a young man in college, I had been denying in my heart what I knew God had called me to do. It was in my freshman year of college that I finally acknowledged and accepted that the call on my life was real and I needed to go public with it. As I did that, God began to bring people in to my life that He would use to shape me in ministry, in life, and in leadership.

Dan Chitwood was a Campus Life Director for Kankakee Area Youth For Christ, and I was a college freshman investigating his call and volunteering with a ministry I had never heard of. I spent my first year in ministry being told to observe. Dan didn't throw me to the wolves, he held the reigns tight so that I could learn. As I watched Dan and others in leadership at YFC, I took it all in. As the years progressed, they put more responsibilities on me. At no moment did they micro-manage, they equipped me and then had faith that I would learn and follow through. Eventually they handed leadership over to me. As Dan moved to a different position, they had me step in and take his position of leadership of a campus life in Herscher, Il. I felt prepared, supported, and the years before hand probably helped me not be a fresh out of college know it all.

Over the years, I still call Dan when I need some insight on life, leadership, church, marriage, and my spiritual journey. He is a man of God that God used to shape me. It makes me hopeful that as I live my life and walk these steps, that I will have the opportunity to be a "Dan Chitwood" to someone and let God use me in that way as well.