Next Steps

I read this quote from a man that I have not had a chance to meet personally;

"There is nothing in my life that God does not know and did not appoint."

I was fixed by that self statement. I read that one sentence once, and again, and again, several times over and considered its witness and meaning. What a concise way to say that between himself and God his Redeemer, there was no veil or secrecy or any event that He did not permit with the outcome to be His glory known.

We give God credit for the upswings but how about being downtrodden? We see His hand in the obvious blessings of favor, but can we say the same about the painful and the unpredictable? Can you actually live in such union with Christ that even the 'valley of the shadow' can be appreciated as His movement upon you rather than just another bummer event that you just have to live with? It is amazing to meet a person whose every step is as the Good Book says, 'ordered by the Lord'. It is even more amazing that a man would offer the witness that his every step was in sync with God's agenda for the whole of his followship to Christ.

"What you have just said is quite true." John 4:18

What happens if you get 'out of step'? What is the recourse for those whose lives are marred by mistake, regret and simply put...willful sin? In the context of these eight words, a woman whose lifestyle left her abused, alone and aloof from God was in the balance. She could admit the facts about her failures, or she could dodge the issue altogether. Jesus commended her honesty. From that time forward, she may well too could have said;

"There is nothing in my life that God does not know and did not appoint."

It is amazing what the next steps that you take after He initiates life change. This woman jumped the subway and was back in her hometown pronto to announce to those who may very well have despised her of the coming of the much anticipated Christ. How did she recognize Jesus as the Christ? He mentioned in part what she knew as being pretty much the whole of her life story. She would be different from that forward, (as would many others). She knew it. Jesus most certainly knew it! From that day, her ambition and perhaps reality was that her steps would also be 'ordered by the Lord'.

When life change occurs, life direction does too.

For Mike Blaylock, those 'steps' ordered by the Lord would take him into some interesting and formidable ministry venues. Just last week, this 53 year old Vice President of Campus Affairs for the University of Mobile died from colon cancer diagnosed just two years earlier. Prior to walking on campus a decade ago as his steps would take him, Mike served two amazing churches as a faithful staff member. He also was the Chaplain for the Kansas City Royals from 1975-1980. He was the featured speaker and singer at no less than three American League Championship series games and had been called upon by national speakers bureau's to inspire professional baseball and football teams as well as organizations and universities with his humor and intensely personal and practical gospel presentations.

After years of encouraging college students to excel and to offer their lives to Someone greater than themselves, this good humored, other centered, Christ loving servant of God took his next step into the eternity that has been carefully prepared for him.

"We no longer believe just because of what you have said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." John 4:42

There are literally hundreds if not thousands who have been encouraged to Christ because this dear man saw each step as a divine appointment as God's herald. People and generations of people have been and will be impacted by the life of his testimony and the Living Word that has initiated such divine truth through so willing an ambassador. Many have and will hear and believe for themselves because of the faithful walk of Mike Blaylock.

I became intrigued by this man because I read his obituary on the campus website of the University of Mobile, the college I graduated from in 1979...long before Mike took his first step on campus. I became further intrigued when I read on that he was a Kansas City native and that his parents continue to make KC their home. From here, the Lord ordered Mike's steps to Mobile...and from Mobile, the Lord (in His time) has ordered my steps to KC. Our paths crossed and we never knew it!

Yours and my next steps may be in the very place that Mike knows firsthand as 'home'. One day someone may stumble over your obituary just as I did Mike's. I am so glad that he walked well so that others could be led to Christ by way of his footprints. Thank you Mike...I will do my best to leave the same obvious trail.