THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IT in the world. I did not sign up for it nor was I recruited to do it. I was drafted by the owner when I was only 16 years old.

He discovered me, drafted me, and signed me to it from the heart of small church America. When I say small, I mean small. If 40 people were there on Sunday mornings, it was big day. If you showed up and wanted to sing a solo, you were on! American Idol had nothing on my church. If a time for testimonies occurred, you had better be ready. If need be, push rewind and repeat. If you went to sleep while the pastor was giving his message for the day, he might wake you up. Yes, one day he called my name out in front of the whole church: “Ronnie, you need to wake up while I am preaching!” Guess what? I have not gone to sleep in church since I was a little boy. You probably did not believe me, but I told you it was small.

When God drafted me into the world of ministry, He risked so much. As I reflect, knowing what I know today, I am amazed He wanted me on His team. Only five months before, He had drafted me to be a part of His family. Even though my parents took me to church at least three times a week, for some reason I did not get it. Finally, I entered into that personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Football was my life. I wanted to play as much as I could for as long as possible. After that, I wanted to be a football coach more than anything in the world.

When God began to change my personal agenda, He did it radically. When I settled that He had indeed called me into ministry, I almost raced down the aisle of that small membership church. On that Sunday morning in March, I entered into the world of ministry.

There is nothing like it in the world.