Let's Play Catch Up!

Let's Catch Up. From 2018 until Now. 

Brent resigned from his job as pastor on December 8 and our last Sunday was December 23. How funny to leave a church two days before the celebration of Jesus birth. Seven people were baptized that day. I thought that Christmas was a special time to be baptized. 

So we left. We walked into the New Year and into a new season of life all at once. We sort of floated thru the first 3 months. I kept telling people it was a time of rest of us. Which was true. We had been on a part of church staff for the entire 13 years of being married. I don’t know if you have ever done that, but going to church and not being on staff is kind of amazing. 

I learned a few things about myself and church as we visited around a few different churches in the area. 

1.) FOWTS - Fear Of Where To Sit is a real thing y’all! I remember walking in a sanctuary and thinking,

 "oh my word, what do we do?Where do we go? Where do we sit? Ha! And also where is the bathroom? Who do we talk to? What about my kids? 

Those are real fears and real questions. 

2.) I also like to sit in the back where I can watch people. HA! And so I can get in and get out of visiting the church. 

3.) I absolutely cannot pay attention to anything the first time or two in a new church. I am too busy looking around the sanctuary, watching the people, looking at the decorations, and paying more attention to what comes next than what God might be saying to by heart. I think it gets better the 2nd or 3rd time.

4.) I really hate the “greeting time”. This is not a new thing for me though, I have never liked it, but as a guest at a church, I hated it. I don’t want anyone to talk to me out of obligation. I don’t like the shaking of hands and the insincere how are you question, that asked quickly and moved on before and answer an answer can be given. Plus, didn’t we just “greet” each other the entire 15 minutes before the service even stated, why do it again?

5.) I realized that you have got to feel like you have a place where you fit in a church. Maybe it was because I can’t ever remember not serving in church, but in the churches we visited, I sat in the pew trying to figure out where I might fit and there wasn’t a place. They all seemed filled. There didn’t seem to be a need for more people. Having a place to serve in church and a place you fit is important. Belonging is important. The church we attend now, has a place for us. We are able to fit, there is room in the church for us. 

6.) I cannot express how important small group, Sunday school, connection classes, whatever the words you use to describe your classes on Sunday morning may be - it’s is imperative that the teachers teach the truth. That they do not just sit around and discuss the latest purse they bought or the newest phone app. Not only teaching the truth, but preparing adequately and being excited about teaching is so important. Especially for my kids. It is imperative that they feel like they are wanted there and someone, even just 1 person invites them to sit next to them and ask questions and introduce themselves. For teachers and other kids to come and help make visitors feel welcome makes so much difference. 

We finally arrived at church where we did not expect to end up. Not for any bad reasons at all, it was just unexpected. But we have LOVED every moment of being there. It has been a place of healing and rest. A time of renewal of hearts and remembering how much I actually love working in ministry.  How much I love people. Our kids love it and can't wait to go. They don't want to miss ever. The way our pastor preaches is different than most and I have learned so much and understood so much more of the Bible than I ever have before. 

April 1st came and Brent started a job with a friend.  He works construction and loves it. We kept telling everyone we were in a season of rest. But what we didn't know is that we weren't really resting, we just thought we were. 

And then in middle of June, Brent's hand had staph and cellulitis. He couldn't work for a few weeks. I did not have a job. I didn't understand. Didn't God say He would provide everything we needed? Then I started thinking that maybe I have misunderstood that verse and it didn't mean what I thought it meant. It's a much longer story than you want to read here, but it wasn't until we had done everything we knew to do and we thought, well maybe we will lose it all, it wasn't until then, until we truly released everything and trusted God's absolute goodness that we really began to rest. It is so freeing. I'm not sure how to articulate it here.  

What I do know how to articulate is how God never left us on our own. The end of June I was offered a job that I didn't even know was available. Thank You, Lord. Brent's hand healed, slowly. 
We kept praying and applying for jobs for Brent. And....NOTHING. WAS.HAPPENING! HA! - ok. To be continued in the next post.