Amazing Opportunities

I love how God must get so irritated with us when He is doing something in us but all we can do is cry and feel rejected.  This past year has been a tough one for me.  Our pastor left the church to start a church in another city in this metropolitan area. 

Now anyone that knows me knows that family is everything to me.  All four of my children & their families were attending church with us and life was good.  But one of our daughters & her family were asked to go with the pastor to help with the church plant.  I think I could have lived with my dear friends and pastors leaving so much easier had it not been for our daughter leaving, too.  Now, my family was separated again and I was miserable. 

Because of all this I began to question what God was doing in my life.  Am I still supposed to be in Children's Ministry?  Am I supposed to be in ministry at all?  Am I doing my job?  What did I do wrong that I am not needed or wanted now?  Yes, the enemy had a hey day with me! 

We had a family in the church that felt called to take the church.  I was asked to stay on as the children's pastor.  I prayed and told God I would stay until He moved me.  I also told God that I was waiting to be moved so let's get this thing going.  Nice, huh?  Telling God what to do...that's dangerous territory!  Well, 11 1/2 months later, the family that stepped up to pastor the church stepped down.

Now, not only have I been through the wringer, but so has my church!  This has been a very trying time for all of us.  I said all of that to say this...I am so glad that God has been faithful.  My first sentence of this post was, "I love how God must get so irritated with us when He is doing something in us but all we can do is cry and feel rejected."  I've heard it said, "If you want to see God laugh, tell Him your plans."  I believe that is so true. 

I think of how I love to sit back and watch my grandkids play.  Sometimes I just laugh because they are emmulating what they see in their parents or in other adults.  God must be the same way.  He sits up in heaven watching us play at life.  We go through the motions of church or marriage or work or whatever emmulating what we think is His way.  He must have the most amazing 'laugh-fests' with the angels & Jesus. 

So, what is it that God is doing in me that I whined and cried about for so long?  Well, I am now experiencing the most amazing opportunity of my 30 odd years in ministry.  I am currently the 'interim' pastor at the church.  I have preached in 'big church' before but normally when I do, it's a 'children's service' done for the adults complete with the games & video clips, etc.  It is a way to showcase what we do for their children.  You know, so that the moms & dads see exactly what we do and that we are not just babysitting their kids.  I love that I am having the chance to preach to adults in an adult way.  And God is so amazing because He is giving me the messages to share.  Besides this, the messages are perfectly timely for this time that our church is going through.

As much as I am enjoying what God is doing, I am anxious for the process of choosing a pastor to get underway so that our church can move forward.  I know that God has amazing things for my church.  In fact, I believe that the verse for our church during this time is Jeremiah 29:11..."'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   I take this verse very much to heart.  See the name of our church is New Hope.  I believe God is speaking directly to New Hope at this time...He is telling us that the enemy will NOT prevail and that He has plans to give New Hope a future.

Yes, God must get irritated with us when we don't understand why things are the way they are...like this past year for me...feeling lost and unwanted became the norm for a while.  Now, God has put one more piece of the puzzle of my life out there and I can see...I was left at New Hope for a reason...for the season we are going through.  It's not that I am special or anything but it was God's plan.  I am only special because God is in me.  Yes, I am enjoying this very special opportunity to share in the main sanctuary for a while.  It allows me to become a more well-rounded minister of the Gospel as well as lets the congregation see me in a different way.

Walking the walk & Talking the talk,