Several years ago, after finishing many tours of duty in the military, I returned to civilian life. My adjustment was a little rough to say the least, after a few encounters with the law. I began to realize at this pace, that I would not live to see 30 years old. After meeting my future wife Connie, she knew that I liked to read and told me to read the bible, starting with the book of Revelation. I realized that I was living a life that was not pleasing to God. The many times I had joked about going to hell, was becoming real to me. It began to settle in my spirit, that if I didn’t change my ways, I was going to spend eternity in that place.

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After receiving Christ into my heart, I joined a church and began to learn more about the God who had saved me. I grew in the Lord, began teaching Sunday school, and was involved in many other ministries within the Church. After years of studying the bible and teaching, God called me to a preaching ministry. I began to preach whenever a church would invite me or when a pastor needed me to fill in for the day. After a few years of this ministry, I was called to a small country church, where they wanted me to be their Pastor; what a privilege it was to share God’s Word. While pastoring small churches, I still worked for various utilities contractors, to make enough money to live weekly.

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In the spring of 2005, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and lost my hearing in my right ear. The whole process of the tumor’s removal and recovering from surgery was a miracle. I spent fourteen hours on the operating table, two days in ICU, and two in a hospital room, for a total of five days. The doctor came in and said there was nothing more than they could do for me. My heart dropped to the floor, because I imagined that he was sending me home to die. But to my surprise, he laughed and said, you’re too healthy for this hospital. So, after six weeks of recovering, I was back at work in the industry that I loved. I am here  to let you know that “God is good”, and that I have walked with Jesus since 1980.

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In 2008, I received a call from a friend of mine who wanted to know if I was interested in teaching at another community college for line workers. I had worked at a different college teaching another line worker’s program and decided to go back to field work. But this time I interviewed for the job, and the college really wanted this program to work so we came to a great understanding. I would work the recommended hours teaching, and they would pay me. When I first started teaching, I would always watch the weather, tempted to pack my bag to go back storm chasing. The only way I can explain line work to the world is that “it gets in your blood and will not leave”. There are probably a lot of jobs that are fulfilling, but to a line worker he gets to be the good guy putting everyone’s lights back on. He gets to be the hero when everyone else runs for cover; when poles and lines go down, line workers run to the disaster.

 

God began to speak to me in July 2015, about a new ministry, leaving the ninety-nine for the one. I had no idea what that meant. I have worked with the Royal Ranger Ministry since 1980 and had been preaching and pastoring since 1992. But God began to minister to me about the “one”, leave the ninety-nine. I began to pray and meditate, and began to think this sounds like work, but God knows my heart. If there is one out there that needs him, then direct me to him.

 

Then as the months went on, God began to give me these thoughts of devotions. He began to show me that our daily work, has spiritual application to our lives. I will tell you that God loves his children very much and wants them to live an overcoming life. This book was put together through much prayer, mediation, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  This book was written for the “one” in mind, the “one” who needs God’s help and his love.

 

My vision and prayer are to put a copy of this book into every line worker’s hand. Many devotions here give insight to our material and equipment, but the most important concept is the application of God’s word.

 

What a privilege in life for a Line Worker, to handle one of the greatest powers that man has known, which is electricity. It is with that same privilege to be empowered by God’s power, to do his work and minister to his people. We can have the best of both worlds to work man’s power and to walk in God’s power.

 

My prayer is that you become what God has designed for you in life. Be open to God, his Spirit, and follow him wherever he leads you. Become not only the line worker you were designed to be, but also the Child of God that you were created to be.

 

I John 4:4 states “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world”. You are in a great place in your life, if you know Jesus as your Lord. But if you have never met Jesus, hopefully you will see him in the pages of these devotions.

 

Matthew 18:11-14

11. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

12. How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth not he not leave the ninety nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray.

13. And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

14. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.