Tony Silva
I had been on the ground less than half an hour when I found myself brainstorming with Brian, the station manager of a radio station in St. Joseph, Missouri. The program director in me that I thought had died years before came to life with ideas about how to do things on the air or how to help his staff learn new skills.

When I shared the experiences I was having during my visit to the St. Joseph radio station, my wife commented, "that's what I mean when I say 'it's in your blood' -- radio makes you come alive." Indeed it had. Unfortunately, this was not merely an exercise in deciding what I wanted to do. My "mission" was clear: "it doesn't matter how good you are operationally if the Lord is not in it." I was told to spend a week there observing the station's operations and determine whether I could catch up on the new technology...and whether the Lord's will would have me working in radio again.

Each evening I recounted the events of the day along with discussions I had with Brian about finding the Lord's will in it. Slowly, confirmation after confirmation came in ways that convinced me we would be heading in the right direction by going into ministry. I had been looking into instructional design work in the Seattle Tacoma area where my extended family lives. The pay was attractive and the proximity to family would have been an added benefit. Still, I felt drawn to the radio ministry more than to the pay and prestige of working at Microsoft or Boeing; my heart joy in the creative process of helping people do great radio was stronger than my desire to move on.

The last night of my visit, I logged on and began a chat with my sweetheart that would set the course for us for months beyond. I had come to the conclusion that I was being called to ministry in radio. As I ticked off the reasons I believed this was where God was leading me, it became clear that the door was wide open and that we had both come to the same place. She would not be a ministrty partner in the sense of going on the air -- not a Jon and Sherry Rivers thing -- but as she reminded me of the days when we would do Saturday creative sessions, reviewing radio shows and such, she was there with me bringing snacks for the team or just being part of my life. I would have it no other way.

We started saying our goodbyes, and I couldn't shut down my laptop without telling her how much I appreciated her for going through the decision making process with me. "I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for your patience and understanding in my effort to make certain the Lord was in the picture -- that this is where He wants me."

"I am also blessed to have a wife who KNOWS beforehand what radio can be like and still is willing to stay married to a radio guy," I said. Her reply was the final confirmation for me. There would be no turning back. "There's only one place in the world I want to be -- and that's in the middle of His will with you."

A thought occurred to me. "Remember the 'triangle' model I spoke of years ago -- as each of us gets closer to the Lord, the triangle gets smaller and we grow closer to each other?"
"Yes, I remember," she replied. That night, I slept better than I had in months. I could rest in the knowledge that I was moving closer to Him -- to the center of His will. Nothing could compare to the quiet joy of knowing the woman I love found this to be the one place in the world she wanted to be -- with me.


The Middle of His Will
Tony Silva

Oh, I just want to obey
to walk in His presence with you.
To know His holy purpose and do what He's calling me to.

'Cause the dream I gave up long ago
is coming back again.
And it's a dream He made for two -- in the middle of His will with you.

Oh, I just want to obey
to walk in His presence with you.
To hear His holy purpose and share in what He's calling you to.

'Cause where you go, you know I'll go
and where you stay, I'll stay
in a place He made for two -- in the middle of His will with you.

Lord, we just want to obey
to walk in Your presence as two.
To know your holy purpose and do what you're calling us to.

'Cause there's a dream and there's a place
that You have brought us to
a dream and place with room to grow -- in the middle of Your will with you.


© 2007 Tony Silva Prev entry: Who Do You Depend On?
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