Not only am I physically refreshed (thanks to our date night and Savannah slept 8 hours last night, in a row!), my soul is refreshed. We’ve been trying to do better about cutting out traveling so we can actually go to church and further more, to get involved. After 5 or 6 months of trying to go we finally went to info session that helps us to learn more about who our church leaders are, what they believe, their visions, how we can get involved, and finally how to make connections and meet people. Today was the most we have ever talked to people and interacted than we ever have in our many times at church. Normally we drop Savannah off, take our seats and quickly leave after the service because we simply had no reason to stay behind and talk. We knew no one. Today I left encouraged by the many sweet, wonderful, God filled people we met or got to know a little better. God is good.
I don’t even know where I’m going with this, there are so many things I want to say and give thanks for. So many ideas and joy that fills my heart. All my life I’ve searched for a church that I truly felt apart of and that filled my ‘ideal’ church desires, that felt like “home” and this church has it all. Finally. Now we are working to make it our home, to do our part as the body of Christ.
For years, Mark has felt a calling to Youth Ministry. We’ve both felt this calling for him and our lives, I knew that I would marry a pastor one day. But, it’s a scary, terrifying thing to leave this “security” (what little there is for this young, poor college family!) and move on into unknown territory that only God knows what to expect and can prepare us for. It goes back to the “To Go or Not to Go” issue. Some how, in my heart, I see this calling connected to the calling of leaving. Not saying it will happen any time soon, but maybe someday.
Today when they were talking about their mission to plant other churches, an image flashed in my head of us working to help create a church much like the Gathering in Boone, NC. While we were at ASU, we did attend church but nothing ever ‘fit’ just right. Either the music was older and more traditional, or the preaching wasn’t quite our taste, etc. There was always something that didn’t capture us like this church does. In fact, as we consider whether to stay or go, one of the major down falls is that we would lose this church. This is the only place we’ve ever felt at home and fully satisfies our spiritual needs/desires/tastes. I would absolutely love to see a church in Boone like the Gathering, and maybe, just maybe, we could be apart of that in some way. Maybe that is why we feel this calling. They didn’t mention reaching out that far, but still, God works outside our bounds. Again, it’s a big and scary idea. Mark and I seriously get nervous even thinking about the things God could be calling us to, but we’re learning and praying to put ourselves humbly before God, to just let Him work and for His desires to fill our hearts.
Our Paster Andrew was a huge encouragement to Mark and I today in many ways. Everyone we met today and talked more with was an encouragement in a different ways. We are so blessed to know these amazing people! This is what church is about. This is what being Christ’s body is about. For the first time in my life, I get it.
Be encouraged. I don’t know why that keeps playing over and over in my head and heart, but it is. Maybe it’s to speak to some one reading this, I do not know. Be encouraged.
Posted in Encouragement, Growth, Lessons, My Savior, church
