During the fourth watch of the night, He came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. (Matthew 14:25-32)
Many are you are aware of the fact that Catholic evangelization has never been a full time job for me. Although I’ve always had the desire to work for the Lord on a full time basis, the advice I’ve received from my spiritual director, from trusted friends and in prayer has been, “don’t quit your day job”. As the sole provider for my wife and children, I understood and accepted the fact that my primary vocation in life is being a father. As a result, I made the decision that I would hold on to my day job (as a control account manager in the defense industry) until I was able to earn a living working for the Lord (in some capacity). I also had to accept the fact that, despite my personal desire, I may always have to hold a secular job and work as an evangelist on my own time. Although I struggled with this reality, I did accept it. While my wife and I felt that there is a good chance that it was God’s will for me to work for Him on a full time basis, we weren’t sure. Therefore, we both agreed that we’d let the Lord decide when I would leave my day job.
That decision was made for me today as I was laid off due to a company downsizing. I suspected that it was coming, but there is no way for a “comfort zone” person such as myself to adequately prepare for this type of event. I have been calling out to Jesus (as did Peter) and asking Him to command me to get out of the boat (of course, my plan was to have another boat waiting). Today, the Lord asked me to step out and walk to Him. There is no other boat waiting for me…only Jesus. Although I’m afraid, I am listening and doing as He commands.
Over the past 3 years, my work as a Catholic lay evangelist has grown beyond my wildest expectations. I never expected to become a regular guest on network Catholic radio, host my own radio show or write a book…but all of those things have happened due to God’s grace. I have been blessed to meet, pray for and minister to many people over the airwaves, the Internet and in person.
As I write this, I can say that (for the moment) I am a full time Catholic lay evangelist. Although the future is unknown, I am excited about the prospect of having more time to do the Lord’s work. This should result in more radio appearances, increased blogging, additional posting on Facebook and Twitter and the start of my second book. In the meantime, I will explore ways to generate revenue so that I can support my family and pay for the costs associated with Following The Truth (website, radio expenses, Internet costs, etc.). I have some ideas and will begin to explore them now.
At some point, I may do something I’ve never done before and ask for donations to help keep my work at Following The Truth alive. For now, I simply ask for your prayers, so that I may be able to discern God’s will, provide for my family and continue to help others to grow closer to Christ through His Catholic Church. God Bless You!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary