A Time of Transition

We have all come to those points in our life where we meet a crossroads. The place where the comfortable, the familiar, the safe refuge, is about to fly out the window. For some of you, change may be exciting, thrilling, exhilarating, even; for me, words like scary, unknown...not this again...are more of what come to mind. In my mere 2 years of marriage, however, I have come to discover that change is just something that comes with the territory.

Being in the ministry necessitates these times of transition in our lives. For whatever reason, God places us in a position for a season, and then as soon as things seem comfortable, normal even, BAM! Time to change things up! Although the thought of this used to scare the pants off me, God has graciously shown me time and time again that when we follow His lead and are obedient to His calling, there is a joy and a peace that accompany change that I have never experienced before. Probably the biggest change I have faced in my life thus far is moving halfway across the country, to a state where I knew 1 person (my husband), away from all my family and friends, with no job, so my husband could serve at First Baptist Church. If you had asked me 1 or 2 years prior if I would be open to moving to Texas, the answer would have been a swift, "Umm, I don't think so!!" (It's true, just ask my husband!) And yet, when the time came, and the realization that this was precisely where God was calling our little family, there was no fear. There was no rebelling. Just a simple, "Wherever you need us to be, Lord." And believe it or not, when we arrived and settled into our little apartment, I had peace. I felt at home. How I could possibly feel "at home" 2000 miles away from home can only point to the tremendous love and grace of my Father in Heaven. He alone could prepare my heart for such a change, and He alone could give me joy and peace in such a foreign land (yes, to me, Texas was a foreign land).

Although I have yet again found myself, my family and our church in a time of uncertainty and transition, I can rest assured that God's will will be done. I don't have to be afraid of what the future holds, or what comes next. I don't have to figure out the outcomes of all the "what-if's," or sift through each and every senario in my mind. Because change happens. But the promise I can stand on through life's many seasons of change is that my God will never change. His promises do not change, but will endure forever.

"For I, the LORD, do not change." Malachi 3:6a

At this crossroads that we face, I pray that God will continue to gently remind us all to stay focused, and remember that while we may not understand, everything is, ultimately, for His glory.