Anyone who comes to me must be willing to share my cross and experience it as his own, or he cannot be considered to be my disciple. So don’t follow me without considering what it will cost you. For who would construct a house before first sitting down to estimate the cost to complete it. (Luke 14:27-28, TPT)
I was getting a drug test today and ended up waiting for a little over 1 1/2 hrs. During that time I took a stroll through the past 2 years. In March of 2020, I started volunteering at a rescue mission in Jacksonville beach. At the same time, I was looking for employment as my time working for my previous employer had come to an end.
Every time a door would open, Holy Spirit would tell me this is where the Father has assigned you and I volunteered for a little over 40 hours. I had some support coming in through our ministry and had a contract with a company that was paying me $1200 for consulting and training their technicians which generally took 4 to 5 hours per month.
In August of 2020, my son and I vacationed in Maine, spoke at a few Churches while there, and then went to Cane Ridge in Kentucky where the spark was lit for the second great awakening.
The presence of the Lord was so powerful there. As we were leaving I heard Holy Spirit say “The Father wants you to go back and start discipling others as did His Son”. I answered with I will.
30 minutes into the drive I asked Him “What does that look like” He had a long answer but the short end of it was “Pour into others everything the Father has poured into you via daily interaction”.
Now some contend this never happened, howbeit for 18 months they referred to me as such. The founder of the mission asked me if I would take charge of the mission, to which after seeking the Father I agreed. From August 2020 until February of this year I was considered to be the director of the mission. Even those who today say I was never asked to be that referred me to others as the director.
During that whole time, I spent anywhere from 40 to 60 hrs a week there, including times when I had to go in on my days off or in the evening to deal with situations.
And during this whole time period, I never collected a salary, however, my wife and I via our ministry put a little over $25,000 into the mission via food, clothes, training supplies, and personal items for the disciples there. We had a website built and covered the cost. We had a promotional video made and covered the cost.
The money didn’t matter because we knew I was positioned to impact lives. Towards the end of 2021, I came under severe attacks from two members of the staff there, launching one lie after the other. To me this was life-changing as I feel that through all of that the Lord was able to do some inner surgery, removing areas of pride and religion that had remained hidden in my life.
Now towards the end of January, these attacks got even worse, the enemy had aligned me with an individual who played both sides and spewed out a long list of lies to both sides. So I went to one of my mentors and several other seasoned ministers.
These were men who had prophesied as to what the Lord wanted to do there, and they all came back with “The Father is releasing you from your commitment there”.One said to listen to the Spirit and trust the Father in vindicating my name and in doing so walk away with a heart of forgiveness”. Valuable advice which I have gleaned from.
The first few weeks I decompressed from a lengthy battle. I spent much time in prayer and fasting as well as keeping busy working through my “Honey-due-list” which my wife had built since buying our home back in 2020.
I had to reevaluate my situation as I had planned on being there for at least 5 years. Along with that, the cost of living has skyrocketed and my income hasn’t increased to match it.
In fact, due to the cost of gas and other goods going up I find myself short of about $1200 per month. So I’ve been seeking a part-time job that will leave room for ministry.
I’ve got over 35 years of customer service skills, cooking, management, pest control, driving, WDO inspections, and a few other small trades. 43 yrs total in working and as my Dad used to say “Jack of all trades, Master of none” Searching for work hasn’t been easy for when I put down my experience they come back with my being overqualified, or they are looking for someone who wants to make a career with them.
I sought counsel and those who know me said “I think you’re supposed to preach the gospel” or “You’re to dedicate your life to helping others”. When I ask Holy Spirit, He responds as He has for several years “Trust the Father”.
Three areas that I am highly trained in don’t offer part-time positions and most would shut me out of ministering because I will not sacrifice my marriage for anything.
Am I discouraged?
Not really.
And I will tell you why in a Paul Harvey fashion of “Now for the rest of the story”
As I look back at the hardship of the past 2 years, I have to smile and tell the devil “You lose”.
Although I don’t know what harvest the many seeds I sowed in a number of lives in the past 2 years of those who came through the mission I do know about 3 specifically.
The 3 individuals that I am speaking about the Lord has graciously allowed me to love on, counsel, and speak life into each of theirs, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to encourage and introduce them to the real Jesus. Two were addicts, one being so bad they were sent to the hospital several times for overdosing on pain meds. Yet, Praise God, they both are completely free today.
The 3rd one was just tired of life but now he looks forward to every day as an opportunity to speak life into others’ lives.
These lives are priceless and their happiness is totally worth the cost of a little suffering I’ve endured, especially considering the cost of our Lord to save all of us.
I don’t know what the future hold but one thing I do know is that I am going to continue to take every opportunity to sow into other people’s lives no matter how much it cost me.
Russ G Welch
A.K.A. Windwalker4Life
Radical Disciples - A Remnant Revolution 