How's The New Direction Going?

That’s a question many people have asked me over the past few months, and I’ve not always been sure how to answer. The new direction has been good — I’ve just not been able to take it much of anywhere yet. Let me explain…

Last year we redeveloped our mission for this ministry. The plan was set, we announced the new direction at our annual Truth Builders Dinner, put a few videos out, then — WHAM! Reality hit with what felt a whole lot more than life just being like a box of chocolates.

At the same time we were redeveloping our mission, I was under the candidacy process of becoming one of the elders/pastors at my church, along with our board member Brian Besser. We are now in the installation process, but this involved a nine-month training regimen that started last September and a year’s worth of attending elder meetings and performing the work of an elder.

This was going well, but the training really ramped up in January right as content creation was about to gain steam. This slowed down the development of new ideas for our videos. Concurrently, I was also beginning a large project at my church as part of my job as technical director. I didn't think this would impact content creation that much, but boy was I wrong! That plus several unexpected life events derailed my plans to return to regular video production.

The most impactful of these setbacks involved a brief hospital stay due to hypoglycemia likely caused by a nutritional imbalance from recurring stomach ulcer issues (say that three times fast) and a serious respiratory illness that took me out for over two weeks. This was not helpful on top of the church project. I guess I took on too much at once. Lesson learned… I hope.

That project is now complete, and I have been spending the first half of May catching up on administration work that piled up. This means that videos should be returning next week! At least barring any other setbacks and if the Lord wills.

Throughout this season of busyness and trial, God taught me many lessons as He has always been faithful to do when enduring struggles. Even though I didn’t understand my sicknesses and struggles, God's word told me that He will lead me in those times of darkness by giving me light and level ground.

And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. – Isaiah 42:16

God is so faithful and even when we don’t understand, He will still light our path and guide us forward. I don’t understand why Wheel Truth Media has been so greatly impacted by my struggles as of late, but I trust He’ll use this ministry for His purposes. I know that God is sovereign in all things and that He will use this for good.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

God has also taught me how to remain steady in my difficulties because I know He will sustain me.

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. – Psalm 55:22

We can remain steady because our trust as believers is in the one who never changes. Because Jesus is always the same (Heb. 13 :8), we can be sure that He will fulfill His promises (Num. 23:19), that His counsel is sure (Ps. 33:11), and that His people will not be consumed.

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” – Malachi 3:6

Even in the difficulties of this life, we can still see the goodness of the Lord as we await His return.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! – Psalm 27:13–14

All these truths are encouraging to me because, although I have faced many difficulties that have affected Wheel Truth Media, I can remain confident in the purposes of the Lord.

If you are going through difficult circumstances that you don’t understand, I encourage you to consider these truths and rest in them. The Lord is good and He can use the worst of circumstances for His glory and our good. Trust in the promises of the Lord and know that He is always with you!