Better Plans
Psalm 57:9
I will praise You, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing Your praises among the peoples.
At our weekly church services, the welcome of our first-time guests causes me to reflect on the almost 20 years I’ve been a part of the Music Ministry here at Church of All Nations. The Lord has blessed me with this spiritual refuge each Sunday where I can perform music for the Glory of God and receive edification from the many anointed pastors, musicians, choir members, worship leaders and the congregation itself. During the week, I am a professional musician and music teacher at a Catholic school in Miami. I am blessed with an incredible wife and beautiful children, and I thank the Lord for all my blessings.
I grew up in an Italian - American family in Brooklyn, New York. I was brought up with a belief in God, yet for a period of time as a young adult, I made a foolish decision to abandon the Lord. Maybe I thought I was too smart, too busy, or maybe I was just foolish and prideful. I had a plan of my own. I was convinced I had the answers and could do it alone. After serving in the United States Army, I moved to Florida and quickly earned a scholarship to the University of Miami for music. From my perspective, I thought I was “all that”. Later, I realized that being a musician was a truly difficult lifestyle and hardly the occupation for consistent wages or raising a family while growing further away from the Lord.
I followed my own plan which involved selfishness and sin. At that time my important relationships were not with God but with the people and trappings of a worldly, human community, very much separated from God. Surprisingly, I continued to feel His presence. God was always there, but I was both stubborn and foolish as I failed to acknowledge him. I was too proud to ask for God’s help. Years later, in a series of seminars analyzing the book of James in the Bible, instructed by our Director of Music & Fine Arts, Pastor Beth Boykin, I recall Chapter 4, verses 1-12 of this passage, entitled “A Warning against Pride.”
Verses 4, 6, and 8:
“Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Come near to God, and he will come near to you.”
I recognized immediately how this wisdom would have served me well in my younger days of not allowing God into my life. My pride kept me away until one day where I was metaphorically brought to my knees. A series of calamities, stemming from the poor choices I made in most every facet of life, came to roost simultaneously. It was smoking, drinking, choosing the wrong people to be around, failures in love and marriage, and thinking that I could fix it all by myself. The reality was that my plan left me in a dire situation, with no money, poor credit, and in serious debt. I was homeless and without a car. I found myself in court, involved in a distressing custody battle for my five-year old son. There I was: a musician with little to no resources, alone, without family, and living in stress and fear.
I’ll never forget the moment that I knew I needed to draw near to God. I spent the night in the courtyard of a church praying. As bad as things were for me at the time, I did not dare ask God to grant my desires and fix my problems. Instead, I humbled myself, confessed my sins, and prayed for forgiveness and cleansing. I surrendered and submitted myself to Jesus. I asked for His plans for me. I couldn’t do it alone anymore. Although there were so many things I needed at the time, I was not praying for me. Instead, I prayed for His will to be done. Thy will be done, Lord.
The next morning, much of my anxiety disappeared and I felt joy and peace over myself. The burdens of the world were lifted from me. Within weeks, I felt the graciousness of Jesus in my life, making a way for me where I could not have possibly imagined on my own. The court awarded me full custody of my young son. I started a new job and received an immediate promotion with a raise. Within a year, I met my beautiful wife Maria, and since then have paid off my debts, becoming a homeowner in the process. There is so much more to this story but it’s not over yet. This has been God’s plan for me over the past 25 years. I am thankful and humbled by his blessings upon myself and my family.
To this day, I am still not a perfect man. However, I now have a relationship with the Lord and call on Him regularly to light my path and guide and protect me with His grace. In all these years, I was never alone. Church, we are never alone.
Dear Father God,
We come to you in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. We thank you for every blessing and ask for your forgiveness from our sins. Please heal our souls from the holistic sickness and pain which we are constantly exposed to from global events around us. We ask that you forgive our enemies for their transgressions against us. We love you and need you now more than ever. Bring peace to the people who are in conflict throughout the world and restore Your Presence to the center of our lives. By the blood of Jesus, Amen.
About the Author
Dominick Cama
Professional Musician, Music Ministry, Long-time Member of Church of All Nations