What I Learned From Being in a Family Band #3

Lots of people are saying that Jason Daniels was a top-notch recorder player in 4th grade. And that is connection enough for me to interview him for this blog series. Jason is a senior studying history and philosophy. He will attend law school and is considering going into privacy law. So whatever you do, don’t pick an argument with Jason unless you’re ready for a fight. The second most important part of Jason, outside of his strong walk with the Lord, is the fact that he is a fellow Texan and he is proud of it. In this blog, however, we are going to dive into his biggest life advice that he has learned from others and from his travels. 

Lesson 1: Jason spent a semester abroad traveling to different countries via boat last spring semester. He said that while he had heard many people explain the typical benefits of international travel, the biggest thing he learned was the importance of Christian community. Being away from FBC and his close friends here was difficult. The onset of the pandemic, which happened as they were about to visit China, did not help with this separation at all. He joined a bible study on the boat and led a small group. But he knew that these groups of similar aged peers was a poor substitute for the robustness of a full multigenerational church. When he returned from that semester he found that even online college worship or the online coffee hour we had was helpful in finding the community he was missing. So don’t underestimate how important it is to find and plug into a church.

Lesson 2: The second thing that Jason learned and exemplifies well is pursuing excellence as an act of worship. Whatever you do, IT IS worship, or at least it can be. Jason explains how he heard this from former student Allison Rhyne’s senior speech. She was finishing up nursing school and viewed nursing as a way to not only eventually help and care for others, but also as a way to explore the mind of the creator and the way he designed us. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Most of us are students right now, that is what the Lord has called us to. School is not just something to be endured or survived, it is also a place to worship through our actions. Jason explains that in studying history he saw God through the sovereignty of nations. STEM majors see God through the organization and order of math and logic, humanities through beauty and elegance. We can worship God through our work later in life but also now as students and in everything else we do by pursuing excellence.

Lesson 3: The final thing that Jason thought would be valuable for everyone is to seek the Lord before making major decisions. I think we all know to do this but often forget it in the moment, but it is important to listen to the Lord. In order to listen we have to sit still, be quiet, and listen. This tiny action, or lack thereof, is surprisingly difficult with all our distractions surrounding us. It might be helpful to leave them behind and take a long walk and talk things over with the Lord. Jason prayed about his career including whether he should pursue seminary. He was very undecided and didn’t see a clear path until one day he had an advising meeting with the head of legal history. By the end of that meeting Jason knew he was going to law school and he learned how God is glorified even in law. God often uses others to help guide us and you often don’t see that you are about to finally have clarity on a decision, it just happens and your path becomes so obvious. It’s ok to not know what your decision is. But once you do know, take action and while you are waiting actively pursue God and his guidance. I find that  when you look into your heart you often already know what choice you should make, so go ahead and follow through.