For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven...Ecclesiastes 3:1
A season is ending for us tomorrow and man... our hearts are heavy.
Dave has accepted a worship leader position at a new church. Well, I suppose our whole family has accepted a worship leader position. Because when the leader of our home was called into ministry, so were we.
But this new adventure came without much warning. Dave wasn't seeking a position. We are not disgruntled or frustrated or angry or upset with our current church. We were not looking to change churches. We were perfectly content. Comfortable even. But as the writer of Ecclesiastes says: There is a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing (Ecc 3:5b) We have embraced the people of Redeemer Brenham as our own and now it's time to let go.
The Lord did not prepare me five and a half years ago for how the people of Redeemer would come to weave their way into the deepest parts of my spirit. I wasn't prepared for what true community under the banner of Christ Jesus looked like. I wasn't prepared to walk rocky terrain along side people who love no matter what, accept despite my faults and embrace in order to heal and grow. People who truly, deeply and honestly understand what it means to meet felt needs and share whatever they have. I had not known this type of genuine Christ like love until now.
We have walked through the darkest season of our lives with these folks holding our arms high. They identified broken places in our lives sometimes before we could, and were prepared with the Gospel to help put pieces back together. They have mourned with us in ways we didn't know people were capable of.
They laughed, jumped, shouted and cried when we announced not one, not two, but three pregnancies. They have held our babies in their arms and hearts and prayers. They provided meals for a solid month after each of the kids was born and some of them have even done my laundry and cleaned my toilet. (Poor, sweet souls. Bless. Bless. Bless.) And we've helped those same friends welcome over 22 babies!! 25+ babies in five and a half years? I'm just sayin'....don't drink the water.
We've gone through a church merge together. A healthy one that was an amazing testament to the Lord. Click on the link and watch that video - it's freakin' awesome!!
We've done bible studies, women's ministries, run sound and led worship. We have gone berry picking, on retreats, thrown wedding showers, thrown baby showers (a lot of baby showers) and shared in kid-watching duties.
They laughed, jumped, shouted and cried when we announced not one, not two, but three pregnancies. They have held our babies in their arms and hearts and prayers. They provided meals for a solid month after each of the kids was born and some of them have even done my laundry and cleaned my toilet. (Poor, sweet souls. Bless. Bless. Bless.) And we've helped those same friends welcome over 22 babies!! 25+ babies in five and a half years? I'm just sayin'....don't drink the water.
We've gone through a church merge together. A healthy one that was an amazing testament to the Lord. Click on the link and watch that video - it's freakin' awesome!!
We've done bible studies, women's ministries, run sound and led worship. We have gone berry picking, on retreats, thrown wedding showers, thrown baby showers (a lot of baby showers) and shared in kid-watching duties.
And then there is food. Sweet mercy the food. I thought I knew how to cook before I came to Texas. And I was so, so, so, so....SO...wrong. We love sharing food together. And there is a lot of it. Something beautiful happens over shared meals. There have been multiple times I've gotten a random phone call that someone heard I was having a rough day and they are bringing dinner over. I've repaid the favor gladly on multiple occasions as well. You know you've found a sweet spot in life when people drop dinner off because your entire family has been sick for a few days.
The teaching of this church has been revolutionary in our lives. You'd think two adults who were raised in church their whole lives would have some rock solid theology. Don't get me wrong. We knew what we believed, but we needed help reinforcing the foundations started decades ago. And we found it under the teaching of Justin Hyde and Marcus Lawhon. They filled in gaps for us that made the whole tapestry of salvation and this crazy Christian walk make sense.
So here I sit on the eve of our last day of worship with the people who have been "our people" for over 5 years. To all of you at Redeemer, I am eternally grateful for the ways the Lord has shown His deep, all surpassing love through you. I am thankful that you have taught me so much, from how to birth babies to how to cook Lemon Fusilli. For the ways you have challenged my actions and the thoughts behind the actions. For the lifelong friends I know we have made. And for the ways you point to Jesus. Oh the many, many ways you live out His love in your daily walks. I know we aren't perfect...Lawd knows we gots lots to work on, right?!...but we are seeking His heart. Thank you for an amazing 5 years, I will never be the same.
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