My job is working with people. My job doesn’t really feel like a job. My job is to love unconditionally. My job focuses on Kingdom things. I don’t have a typical 9-5. I don’t have the same schedule, and I don’t always know how to explain things to those who don’t have my job.

When Jesus was here in Earth, He was a pretty radical dude. That’s not a surprise to most of you. I like to call him my, “Third Option” man. When the Pharisees try and trick Jesus in Mark 12:13-17 by asking if they should follow Jewish law and not pay taxes or pay taxes because it’s Roman law, Jesus responds by recognizing their trick and simply states, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s”. He wrecks the crowd. They are in awe because he finds a third option. He can’t be tricked. He is saying, both can take place without breaking the other.

There are so many examples of this. Democrats, republicans: Jesus is neither. He is above that label. No human party can put all His ideals in 1 group. Drinking, not drinking: Jesus turned the water into wine. He also specified to not get drunk. A little confusing, right? Jesus is what I like to call, unconventional. When we think there are 2 options, He always provides a third. And to be honest, it’s usually way better than anything we could create.

Unconventional. That’s how I’d describe this past year. Everyday looks different. Every day, I work with people who need to be loved. Every day, I lean into God, so He can shine light through me. As a campus minister, I try and walk how Jesus walked. I try to love like Jesus loved. I get the privilege to talk to people about who my Lord and Savior is on a daily basis.

So yes, Jesus was unconventional – which means the people that lead His church must be a little unconventional too. My job is probably not much like yours, but I thank you for seeing its value. I thank you for loving Jesus too. I thank you for sharing in the vision for all of us to be redeemed by the only one who can do that. I thank you for making sure that message is propelled to all nations. Without other unconventional people like you, who are willing to devote financial support and prayer to something so unconventional, like the way Jesus works, then it couldn’t happen. Jesus wouldn’t be as strongly present in Spain and other college student lives without it. Without you.

So thank you, unconventional friend. Thank you for sticking with me through this year. Thank you for continuing this journey with me.