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Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. –Acts 4:13
I’ve been a different person, lately. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that. It’s been hard. It’s still hard. But in reflection, many of you have followed me to this point, but not all of you know how this thing all got started. So, without further ado, let me re-introduce myself.
My name is Tyler Slawson. I’m a graduate of Southeastern Oklahoma State University. And this journey all started in 2008.
The year 2008 is legendary to those who’ve heard my story before. I was driving along, listening to Dr. Charles Stanley, of In Touch Ministries, teaching on the radio. I was on my way to high school. It was my senior year. The gifts you’ve been given are to be used for His glory and not your own, he said. Pondering, I wondered what my talents were. I may have had others. I mean, surely I would have. But at the time, the only thing I could think of was acting. And what seemed like a slow minute, but probably went by rather quickly, God began to unveil His plan for my life. I was to act, write, direct and produce films for the glory of God. Perhaps the most appropriate feeling here was amazement. It seemed like he had been trying to show me this for months, but I just got it. It all made sense, and I’ve never experienced anything like it since. Nor do I anticipate such an event again. It was the moment that changed the rest of my life.
These events took place in October of that year. Leading up to that moment, God had His hand there too. I was raised in the Nazarene church. But for my specific body, I didn’t have a deep connection with the youth. I had a few friends, but generally didn’t fit in. Not to put that congregation or denomination down, but the youth, at the time, weren’t there because they were interested in God. Most of those weren’t raised in church and their parents did not attend. They were mostly there for social time. It was a good church, but God was leading me somewhere new.
I began praying about a new church. I didn’t want to go on Wednesday nights and knew it wasn’t healthy to be that way. In May, my friend Emily invited me to Abundant Life Temple, a member of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. My strong spiritual growth was ignited at this church. The youth were what I had hoped for. It was a good fit.
Before I went to ALT, I had heard people say they heard from God, but I assumed they heard an audible voice. I had a pastor once who retold when God called him into the ministry and what God said to him. I was slightly spooked at the time, thinking of what God could say to me. But in October 2008, I realized how a silent voice to the heart can be so much louder.
God had everything aligned. After God spoke his will to me, I returned to him that if He truly had that in store for me, that He would have to bring it together because I didn’t know anyone in that industry. Make note of this part. It makes for a recurring theme. It turns out that the International Pentecostal Holiness Church hosted a fine arts competition at the conference and national levels. Students could develop, perform, and compete using their God-given talents. They could sing, play an instrument, perform a monologue or pantomime. They could even, as it turns out, make a short film for the video category.
To be honest, without Holly, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today. It was my senior year and I was busy. I didn’t get it put together in time, even though God presented an idea. Then I got a call one Saturday. From Holly, she insisted we do it. So, I hastily wrote my first screenplay. That afternoon, with whoever we could gather up, we made my first film: Mission: Mark’d. It was inspired by Acts 4:13. Probably the verse of my life. The story revolved around a couple of guys who were commissioned by their youth pastor to find a person who best represented that verse. It took first place at the conference level, but fell short at the national competition, despite wide receipt from the audience.
I wasn’t done at that point. The next year (2010), Holly came through again. This year the theme was simply Relentless. There was no verse reference. After a long process, determining that a girl would be worshipping, but for what purpose, it came to us. And the story about a young lady being relentless toward God after He had been relentless after she and her healing, was born. Relentless took first in conference and sent us to Orlando, Florida where it also took first in National’s.
After I got back from National’s, it was time to produce a youth pastor appreciation film, which I had attempted the year before but ran short of time before postponing the project. We worked in triple-degree heat making a loose-interpretation of William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies,” begging the question Where would we be without Pastor Shaun? Arriving the last few days before youth pastor appreciation Sunday and after a long struggle with the parents of my actors to shoot, I was informed they couldn’t film the final scenes. They were doing their jobs as parents, but I was running out of time. I called my friend, Jared (another motif in my ongoing career), asking him what we should do. “I’ve got something to finish up. I’ll head over there and tell them we’ve got to get this filmed.” I hung up the phone and prayed, right there at work. What else could I do? God, I can’t do anything here. If you need this made, you’ll have to bring it all together. I get a phone call from one of my actors. “What time do you need us to film?” I excitedly called Jared “What did you do?” “What do you mean? I haven’t even had a chance to leave yet.”
The next year was a rough year for me. It was my first real Spiritual attack. It tore me apart and I was hardly holding on. I had a screenplay written out in the early summer, before my internship in Washington, DC. In my immaturity, I said I wanted to shoot while I was there. But God revealed that wasn’t His plan. The attacks started during my time in DC. After a month and a half of battle, it finally wore me to exhaustion and I cried out to God. After the storm calmed, I told God that, once again, I ran short of time and that He was going to have to bring it all together. And He did. That was Consumed.
These are only a few of the stories of what God has done in my 5.5 years following in His path. But there’s the constant theme of running short of time and God bringing it all together in the end. Yeah, my film is moving at a glacial pace and Consecrated wasn’t accepted to deadCENTER, but what is happening is my first appearance as a “VIP.” Sunday I will be mingling among actors and other industry members at special acting showcase. Yeah it would be cooler to say that I’m midway through filming my first feature, but what can you do? At this point, I’m crying out to God. He’ll have to bring it all together. The mantra is true that God doesn’t call the qualified, but qualifies the called. With that being said, I’m Tyler Slawson and God’s going to use me to change the world. 🙂