This past year hasn’t been my easiest one if I can be perfectly honest. It opened up with a parent’s cancer diagnosis and has closed with the sudden passing of a child in my immediate family. Then there’s all of the hidden challenges and changes, the imagery on the news I personally find disheartening. Imagery and issues that have affected myself, my wife and people we love in a life-altering way.
I find it a good thing to pray often and ask God for eyes to see the bright spots though. Otherwise, we become totally consumed with everything going wrong while we miss the “silver lining” we often refer to. This past week I was doing just that and realized what a little bright light has shone into my 2025. It may seem small or irrelevant to you, but to me it’s been heart lifting.
Over the summer I ended up randomly running into a friend. We’ve done some youth ministry together in the past and then our personal journeys took us in different ways. In running into him he shared that he was excited to begin a new job soon as the youth pastor at Timothy Hill Ranch out in Riverhead. A place that does work that I’ve always felt was extremely valuable to individual kids and society as a whole.
In a follow-up conversation, a month or so later, once he was somewhat settled into his new position, he asked if I would come out to Riverhead and speak to the kids at their Sunday church service. Not only once, but once a month. I couldn’t fully put into words what a blessing being inside the Ranch with the teenagers has been. To bring a simple yet heartfelt message of hope, healing, redemption and change. This open door at the ranch coincides with our calling, our outreach and most importantly. With God’s heart.
To make this little bright spot even brighter, this past Sunday my wife and I walked into the Ranch only to be greeted by two teenagers that we have known since they were in elementary school. We had no idea that they were now residents at the ranch, and they had no idea that we were visiting this Sunday.
Towards the end of the church service my wife was brought to thankful tears to see these two young men there. Safe from the streets, safe from their own home environments and being loved and ministered to. It reminded us both that we are just a small part of a much bigger plan in motion that we can’t even begin to fathom. God knows the end of the story before it even begins. He knows every detour, heartbreak and mistake in between as well. Yet He’s still working it all together for a good purpose.
I’m so grateful for such a bright spot to conclude a usually dark year. I hope you can find one bright spot in yours as well.
