We Ask: Wise Words from a Seasoned Pastor's Wife Pt. 2

One of the defining passages from Scripture that shapes our ministry to women is Titus 2:3-5 where older women are instructed to teach (encourage) younger women. One of the ways we've chosen to do this is to ask some of our “seasoned” pastors’ wives (sounds nicer than “older”!) to respond to the following question and then post their responses on a periodic basis for our encouragement and training:

“As a pastor’s wife for ________ years, what is one piece of advice, or one bit of encouragement you would want to share with young pastors’ wives?”

Today we have the joy of hearing from Sheree Phillips whose husband, Benny, serves as a pastor in Metro Life Church in Orlando FL. Enjoy and be refreshed through her wise words!

It was the fall of 1979 and I had just turned 25. Benny and I had a 16-month-old son and a newborn daughter. And he was planting a church.

Some of you are already empathizing with me. You, too, became pastor’s wives in your 20’s with a little one or two in tow. Do you remember that sense of anticipation of ministry life alongside your man? The feeling of wonder that God would choose you to be a pastor’s wife?!?! The excitement you felt every Saturday night as you looked forward to another Sunday morning listening to him preach and watching him interact with God’s people?

Just writing these words brings a flood of memories to my now 55-year-old mind.

When Janis asked me to join some other “seasoned” pastor’s wives to share some thoughts for those younger wives coming behind us, I quickly knew what I wanted to share: Encourage them to maintain their husbands as the primary object of their increasing passion and selfless service.

You see, I didn’t consistently do this. Having six children in eleven years was understandably consuming…and exhausting. (Our seventh came soon after I turned 40 by adoption.) During that first decade of new church life and a growing family there were countless meetings and hospitalities (including many in our home); financial concerns; sleep deprived nights; painful interactions with unhappy church members; baby and wedding showers to plan and hostess; and ladies to care for through miscarriages, infant deaths, infertility, marital crisis, toddler tantrums, and unplanned years of singleness. And then add a million toilet cleanings, grocery runs, laundry loads, training sessions with feisty toddlers and…well, you know exactly what I mean.

Too often I allowed the demands of motherhood, homemaking, home schooling and extending care to others to deplete my waning energy. My marriage regretfully took a too frequent backseat to the seemingly urgent tasks that filled my not-long-enough days. Benny’s increasing responsibilities for a growing church and my ballooning duties as a mom and homemaker were a recipe for marital coasting – and, sometimes, drift. Because my husband was consistently patient with me, he rarely complained about my task-filled life. He understood that simply feeding, schooling and keeping clean clothes on a large family -- while learning to extend care as I could to the ladies in the church – was a more than fulltime job. Yet due to selfishness, misplaced priorities and a prideful willingness to take advantage of my husband’s gracious disposition toward me, I started noticing that fatigue, mental preoccupation with my never ending to-do list and a weighty focus on how the children and church members were doing became the increasing priority in my heart.

What happened to that season when embracing my helper design had been my burning desire? Didn’t I used to be willing to leave the laundry undone some days in favor of a nap so I’d be up for romance at bedtime? How long had it been since I wondered how in the world he chose me as my heart squeezed when he walked into the room? And when did I stop greeting him with a warm embrace when he came home from the office in favor of, “Hi, honey, how was your day and would you mind changing the baby and…oh…Jesse needs to be disciplined…sorry…it’s been a crazy afternoon”?

Little compromises. Subtle changes. Slow drift. Dulling conscience. Undetected sin. If not for my husband’s patient commitment to faithfully stoke the embers of passion in our marriage, I fear the drift would have worsened. Yet most critical was God’s tenacious pursuit of me and for the gift of conviction of my selfishness and pride.

So, young pastor’s wife, what can you learn from my mistakes?

• Remind yourself regularly of the privilege of being a pastor’s wife rather than of being a pastor’s wife. I wish I had more consistently kept my focus on the sheer thrill of being Benny’s wife, rather than on the fact that I was a pastor’s wife. While this is a subtle difference, I can look back and see how often my energies were fueled by sinful motives to be a “good” pastor’s wife rather than to simply be a “good” wife to my Benny.
• Be aware of the common temptations of pastor’s wives. Selfish ambition and a love of prominence are not just male temptations. Did I spend that extra time cleaning and cooking a special meal to wow my guests or to provide a hospitable “face to my husband’s ministry” (thanks, Kimm Harvey)? Was I considering how Benny would want me to use my afternoon, or was my task-orientation more to serve my idols of neatness and order? (Benny would say, “Take the nap, honey!”)? Were my efforts to raise mannered children motivated to impress others or to come alongside my husband to see our children grow in godliness?
• Keep your heart clear of resentment over his ministry responsibilities. Some of my battles with selfishness as a wife were rooted in comparing his “fun” life with my comparatively “blah” one. While I was eating whatever was leftover on the kid’s plates as I cleaned up after lunch, he was probably enjoying lunch out or savoring the one portion of leftovers from last night’s lasagna. While I was wiping bottoms and going over phonics rules, he was studying for Sunday’s message or watching the light come into a counselee’s eyes when they finally “got it.” I knew what I was doing was important and I didn’t want to be doing anything else! But even the small seeds of resentment over him being able to keep his office as cool as he wanted or enjoy uninterrupted reading or meet with people over lunch tarnished the girlish charm of belonging to this wonderful man.

Do you find yourself in the throes of motherhood, wondering how to balance home and ministry? Has it been awhile since your heart squeezed when he walked into the room? Is the Holy Spirit gently nudging you with conviction over resentment as you compare his days with yours? Do you ever fast forward your life and battle uncertainty over what the future holds for your marriage to a busy pastor? I have wonderful news for you! The gospel brings hope for change and the assurance that your future is a bright one when sin is confessed and put to death by His power.

After over three decades of ministry, we have four married children, our baby girl is now 15 and our tenth grandchild is on the way. I’m coloring my gray and my eyes aren’t as blue they used to be. And my flabby arms and forgetfulness over what that thingamagig I need is really called are a regular source of humor for my kids and grandkids. Benny and I will celebrate 37 years together early next year. In a few weeks we will spend a week together at the beach and we’re both counting the days – not just to “get away” but to experience the fruit of the gospel in our marriage – passion, tenderness and a seasoned gratefulness for the deepening love between us. I love being a pastor’s wife because Benny is a pastor. If he were a plumber or a lawyer or a teacher, I would still love being his wife.

And, yes, my heart regularly squeezes when he walks into the room. I still love hearing him preach, but sometimes (ok, I’m being really honest here) people probably think I’m listening intently when I’m really just looking intently and realizing how handsome he still is to me with his thinning hair and aging face. So please do learn from my mistakes. Don’t let even subtle unconfessed and unmortified sin rob you of the joy of remembering he asked you to be his wife.

Return to the wonder of why God chose you to be a pastor’s wife. But mostly because He chose you to be married to him…and he happens to be a pastor.

Giving Thanks

by Janis Shank

It is hard to believe that the holidays are here again, the first being the wonderful day of Thanksgiving. The schedule becomes crowded and the busyness is happily tolerated with the warm sentimentality of memories and traditions. As I prepare to host a houseful of family and friends for Thanksgiving, I am reminded by Noel Piper to stop and ponder some important questions from her book, "Treasuring God in our Traditions", she writes,

"What are the requirements for any sort of thanksgiving to happen? Something we're thankful for and somebody to thank."

This week and throughout this holiday season, I want 2 Corinthians 9:15 to be my constant meditation in hopes that it will flavor all I do and say and give: "Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!"

Noel goes on to ask an important follow up question with some great ideas as a response.

"And then how will we express our thanks to God? Perhaps there's a poster on the wall where anyone during the day can write or draw pictures of what her or she is thanking God for. Perhaps one of the children will make place cards with a verse of thanks on each, to be read sometime during the meal. Maybe this is a good day to pull out the year's journals or photo albums or videos to remind each other of all God has done in our lives this year. And maybe Dad will begin the meal by reading or singing some words from Scripture such as Psalm 95:1-3 "Oh come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods..."

These are all great ideas! What are some of your favorite verses from scripture or traditions that help you keep God, the Great Giver, and his glory in the center of your holiday traditions? Being as this time of year is full of hospitality, what are some of your favorite recipes or activities for larger groups? Please write us at sovgracepastorswives@gmail.com to share your favorites and we will choose several to pass along during this holiday season.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving Day, we pray you are freshly overwhelmed with God's love in the good news of the gospel! In closing, the administrators of this blog are thankful for you and all the ways you serve God by serving your husband, family, church and community! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Harvesting Godliness Through Grace

by Liz Emerson

I love vegetable gardening! I grew up in the same town with both sets of my grandparents, and both of my granddads were vegetable gardeners. I loved digging potatoes in Papaw’s garden, and enjoying Pop’s delicious home-grown cantaloupes!

I’ve followed in their footsteps with a garden of my own, and last spring, Gene surprised me by having my garden tilled early, so that I was able to get an early crop of lettuce, spinach, sugar snap peas, and beets (yes, beets! - they’re one of my favorites!) The next day it rained--actually it POURED--and I was concerned that all of my seeds had washed away. At the end of the week I checked to look for some signs of growth, and there was none. Several days later I checked again, and again observed no life peeking through the ground.

During my third check a few days later, I started to be discouraged, thinking that my labor had been in vain--no sign of growth! But on closer examination, I saw a long crack in the ground in the lettuce row! No leaves yet, but just the ground cracking open in a long, straight line--something was going on under the surface. I was so happy I began to thank the Lord (I get excited over little things!), and at that moment I was aware of God speaking to me...... as if He was saying, “Liz, do you see how excited you are about that small sign of growth in the ground? Well, that’s how I am with you! Every bit of change in you is a work of My grace - and I am pleased with even the smallest amount of growth.”

I realized how discouraged I can become when I don’t see fruit; but God sees--and is pleased--with the work HE is doing in my life! Can you relate? Do you find yourself easily discouraged about a perceived “lack of growth” in your life?

As I reflected on those times when I’m discouraged, three particular challenges came to mind: Being too focused on my sin, comparing my self with others, and not trusting God for growth in my life.

Being too sin focused. As a pastor’s wife, I often place a particular pressure on myself to “grow in godliness”. Living with an awareness that “people are watching”, or that I need to be “a good example to other women”, I can become pre-occupied with my spiritual growth. Now, growing in godliness is something we are called to do! But I can become pridefully too aware of “how much I need to grow”, rather than enjoying the grace of God in every day life.

Sinful comparison with others. I often become discouraged by comparing my perceived growth with others. The Lord used Isaiah 29:16 to help: “You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding?” When I compare myself rather than rejoicing in who God has made me, I (the clay), am saying to the Potter, “You don’t have understanding! Instead, my response needs to be that of Isaiah 64:8: “But now, O Lord, your are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand”. God is forming us to be exactly like He wants us to be. Not like Susie; Not like Sally; but a vessel He is uniquely shaping and forming for His service. I can rest in His unique and wonderful work in my life because He is making me (and all of us!) just as He wants us to be!

Not trusting God for growth in my life. When I don’t see growth immediately, I often become discouraged. But Mark 4:28 reveals the process: “All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head”. Do you see the progression here? Slow, steady, purposeful growth from a perfect God! God causes growth, but He in His sovereignty has a perfect timetable for it!

So, how can I dig out of the pit of discouragement I create for myself? The answer is with the Gospel!!

The Gospel starts with God! Philippians 1:6 tells us that “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion”. It was the Lord’s wonderful saving work for us on the cross that began our salvation. And He not only began it, He promises to “bring it to completion”. What wonderful truth from God! As we fight these discouragements that say, “You’re not growing! or “You’re not changing!” or “Your not growing fast enough”, we can declare confidently: “God is at work in my life! He started this good work, and He is bringing His good work to completion”!

I can no more bring growth into my own life than I can pressure my seeds to grow. Yes, I need to position myself for growth. I need to sow God’s Word faithfully into my heart. I need to cultivate a heart of humility towards God and others. But it is God who “gives the growth”! HE is at work in our lives both to “will and work for his good pleasure”. (Phil. 2:13) Isn’t that good news? GOD is at work in our lives! Each and every day, even when I don’t “see” the growth, growth is happening!

We need to remember that it takes months or years for some seeds to germinate. This is not the kind of information we want to consider when it relates to our own spiritual growth. We want growth, and we want it fast! When we don’t detect growth in our own lives, we need to trust our faithful God. There can be lots of growth “beneath the surface”; we just need faith to trust God’s work in our lives. We are called to plant and water as He prompts us, but it is God who “gives the growth” (1 Cor. 3:6). He has planned when visible growth will appear, and in the meantime, we need to trust that He is always at work in our lives!

Encouragement is a wonderful gift we can give to one another as we fight for faith in this area of our lives. As we look for and see God at work in others, we need to regularly let others know about it. This will help us keep our hearts softened toward the Lord - not hardened by “the deceitfulness of sin”. (Heb. 3:16)

Let’s face it. We all have areas where we need to grow, and we always will. Perfection is never going to happen, but that’s ok! Our focus this side of eternity should be to get to know our amazing Savior, to grow in our understand of the wonderful work He did for us on the cross, and leave the “growth” to God. What a wonderful preoccupation!

That day in my garden, God put a skip in my step and a song in my heart. As I became aware of HIS activity in my life, my heart was filled with joy! As we each learn to “leave the growth to God”, grace will be more amazing, and joy will flood our lives. HE is at work in us, and He will finish the work that He began!

Of Spanx, Lipliner and Pastor's Wives

by Kimm Harvey

A smile crept across my face. It was happening again and it was altogether delicious, and I’m not referring to the chocolate fondue pots spilling over in yumminess.

The husbands – ahem, our men of God - had been sprung for a week of training at the Sovereign Grace Pastors College. Seizing the moment, our Sr. Pastor’s wife, Meghan, had an idea…..it’s ladies night! That meant dessert at The Melting Pot. Just to give you an idea, the melting Pot is one of those places that results in girdle sales.

Now picture this: Eleven women of all ages, shapes and sizes sitting at a long table for over three hours just laughing together. And I’m not talking about polite chuckles either (the guys call that a ‘golf clap’, but I’m not sure guys really know how to laugh). No, I’m talking about the “…stop…stop…I’m crossing my legs and I can’t take it!” kind of laughing. I don’t think anyone would have imagined we were pastors wives.

My favorite part was how to get into Spanx while properly applying lipliner. “Spanx” is hip chick-speak for a panty girdle. That’s where we started. But our conversation moved from Spanx, to high school antics, to the more important issues of how the Holy Spirit has challenged and changed us. It was evident to me that our love for everything from our husbands and children to our church had grown enormously over the years. The joy was tangible.

You know what I love about these ladies? It’s the diversity. We got your talkers, your non-talkers, your athletes and your academic nerds. We have those who shop at L.L.Bean and those who shop at Anthropologie and think LL Bean is a Mexican dish. We have those who wear acrylics and sport triple process dye jobs and those for whom Burt’s Bees is considered top shelf cosmetics.

Yep, we established long ago that we would never have been friends in high school.

But something amazing unites us….and I’m not talking about our husbands jobs. We have been brought together by the Gospel. We also been connected by a common call on our husbands lives to serve the church. It’s quite an honor to be married to men that do that. It’s also been quite a ride.

As we shared our hearts, shed our tears, and returned to uproarious laughter over one another’s stories, I was reminded that this was no mere gabfest, support group, or “Ladies who Lunch,”. Nope, this was a group of true friends who take their role very seriously and are regularly looking for ways to use their position of influence to bless the church and serve their husbands. I guess we had been formed into a team. And this is a mystery to me, but some of us have been together for quite some time. For instance our local church just celebrated an anniversary - 25 years of experiencing God’s faithfulness together. Some of us have been around for a good part of that journey. Others have been here only a year or two but they love the church no less and work just as hard to serve it.

I wonder if you picked up on a word I used to describe these ladies – team. Maybe you’re thinking, “What does she mean by the word team? I thought only the guys had a ‘team.’ It’s a good question. But when people are committed to biblical friendship as a part of ministry, team happens – whether it’s pastors or their wives. I’ve had the opportunity to travel around to many different Sovereign Grace Churches, and I’ve seen this reality many times, be it “teams” of two or twenty.

It starts with a simple conviction. We’re called to our husbands and they are called to this church and this team. Therefore we’re called to friendships as wives. Nobody’s asking whether our personalities are compatible. We have something more valuable that connects us. The gospel and the local church. It’s a sovereign joining.

These “joinings” should foster certain kinds of exchanges among women whose husbands serve on pastoral teams. Things like affection, charity and love for one another;….and I’m not talking about a sappy sentimental kind of love. I mean the “large souled” love that overrides personal preferences and overlooks being sinned against.

I have to be honest. This wasn’t always my vision. In fact I remember clearly when the dots began to connect. It was a many years ago in a small, Baltimore restaurant when my wonderful husband along with some dear friends helped me examine some faulty perceptions of friendship. Convictions were birthed there that helped me look beyond myself to see how my friendships with the other wives could serve my husband and our local church. And that a ministry team will only be as strong as the relationship among the pastors…..and their wives!

Since then I’ve seen the sweet fruit in the lives of many pastors and wives. How God can use the wives relationships as an additional glue for the guys. How these relationships among the ladies can protect the influence of our husbands. I’ve also seen what happens when women don’t steward this privileged position carefully. Believe it or not, pastoral teams can fragment because wives don’t manage relationships according to God’s word.

The dessert was good that night and the memory of our joy will linger long. But far sweeter than any fondue was the reality that something had been built that united us, served our husbands and contributed to the local church. I can’t wait for the next 25 years!

Confessions of a Relocated Pastor's Wife: Part 2

By Laurie Reyes

Phase 4: This is much easier than I thought it would be

In the first weeks of relocating novelty ruled the day. Every time we got in the car we experienced a mini-adventure. (And if I was the one driving, the adventure could be not so little. And for the record, it IS possible to get lost even using a GPS. But, I digress).

Not only was it an adventure to be in a new geographic region, it was an adventure to be in a new church. Everyone loved us. Our church showered us with cards, gifts, constant expressions of gratitude for our coming. It was a season of lavish encouragement. And we were excited about all that God was going to do at Covenant of Grace Church. We were excited to roll up our sleeves and get to work in our new “field”.

In the novelty phase I remember thinking, “gee, this is much easier than I thought it would be.” I missed my family and my church, but the exhilaration of adventure countered those feelings. It’s not everyday that you get to experience a leap of faith like relocating, and I truly enjoyed the excitement and the privilege of joining Covenant of Grace Church.

Phase 5: This is much harder than I thought it would be

Over time the comfort of ordinary rituals, and the exhilaration of being part of a new adventure faded. Once the blur and novelty wore off, I found things that used to be second nature, gradually harder to do. I wasn’t curled up in a dark closet in the fetal position or anything, I just felt an over-arching malaise. Sometimes it was hard to tell if I was physically tired, sad, or just plain lazy. Everything from getting dressed and presentable in the morning, to routine housework, or even just going out of the house felt very hard. As a result, my home was less tidy than usual, my day to day appearance more -eh hem- organic than usual, and I felt tempted to be isolated rather than enjoy fellowship with others. What was it? Was I depressed? Was I mourning? Was I just being lazy and self indulgent? Perhaps all of these things- I don’t know, but what I do know is that God used this season of my life to humble me and teach me greater dependence on Him.

Looking back, I think there were several things that contributed to this miserable season of my experience. One factor was that while I fully anticipated the pain of leaving my beloved family (which was still more painful than I expected), I totally underestimated the pain of leaving my church family. I missed my church in Maryland. I missed the comfort of being known and knowing others around me. I missed well-established biblical fellowship. I missed my staff wives growth group. I missed my role in the women’s ministry. It was hard to hear about life moving forward in Sovereign Grace Church without being part of it. Another factor was the siren songs of self pity and self indulgence. There was a subtle (or not so subtle) feeling that hey, I just did something really hard and painful so I’m entitled to comfort/console/reward/distract myself with food, phone calls, and Facebook. Living such an indulgent life is depressing. Obviously, and I know this – I’m a pastor’s wife for crying out loud – there was no comfort, consolation, reward, or escape found in these things. There was only the downward spiral of failure and guilt. I have been well taught and know that “the path of duty is the way of safety” but I wandered from that path, gave myself a pass on a lot of my duties because I was grieving, and the result was that I was more miserable.

My husband had the difficult job of being compassionate and understanding, but not letting me continue in this downward spiral. Jason was extremely patient, but challenged me as well. Part of his leadership included constantly reminding me of various aspects of the gospel, praying for me, supplying me with good materials to read or listen to, sending me to the local coffee shop to get vision for my life as a wife, mother, and homemaker. But his leadership also included extremely practical things like holding me accountable to limit my time on the computer (for a month I only turned it on during weekends), me going on the South Beach diet to break some unhealthy eating habits (Jason didn’t suggest the diet. He’s brave, but not stupid), and my incorporating exercise into my week (jazzercise – and yes, I’m still looking for that perfect set of coordinating leg warmer/sweatbands  ). Within a month I started feeling much better. These things seem so unspiritual, but I think because doing them required such dependence on the Holy Spirit, such brutal battle with my flesh, that I really saw the benefits in other areas of my life that required desperate, dependent self-control. I can’t help but adding that I was truly surprised that a huge spiritual emphasis God had for me during the first year of my relocating was the need to cultivate self control. Whether it was self control over unhelpful thought patterns, the use of food or entertainment for wrong reasons, or reigning in emotions and feelings, I discovered (and continue to discover) that self control is indeed a wall of defense particularly during times of emotional vulnerability.

Relo With Kiddos

It is one thing to have faith to leave family, friends, church, a support system, etc. It requires a whole other level of faith to do this to your children. Not many things grieve me like the idea of my children growing up without the everyday influence of their grandparents (including a godly great granny), aunts, and uncles. Taking my kids away from their beloved cousins, friends, and the only church they’ve ever known was not something we took lightly in making a decision to come to Ohio. You might be thinking, “hey, Ohio is only 6 1/2 hours away” but to us this feels like the other side of the earth compared to what we have enjoyed with extended family. Every family member not only lived within a five mile radius, but also attended our church. We did life, the dailies of life, with our family.

So why in the world would we take our kids away from such a good thing? We believe God called us to do it, and they won’t suffer because of His faithfulness to His Word. Jesus said in Mark 10: 29 Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

It was difficult in the beginning to watch my children miss their family in MD. One of my boys would come in our room at night crying because he missed his cousins so badly. At one point I found little index cards under the boys’ pillows that said “miss list” at the top and every family member’s name followed. It was sweet and painful at the same time. But now, with almost two years under our belts I can tell you that my children are doing fine. God has given them so much grace to be in Ohio. In fact, they have made this transition much easier than I have. They love and are loved by our church. They have made many friends. And most importantly, they are experiencing in a unique way what it means to really give ourselves to the furtherance of the gospel.

PLU’s, BFF’s, Gal Pals and the Lack Thereof

I haven’t been the new girl in a very long time. In fact, I was nine years old when we started attending Sovereign Grace Church and God blessed me with my first best friend, Michelle, almost immediately. Most of the friendships I had at my old church spanned various seasons of life. We were children together, teenagers together, singles, young marrieds, new mommies. My friends knew me as “Laurie” not as a pastor’s wife. It was hard at first not to compare what I enjoyed before with what I was lacking in my new church. Loneliness triggered self pity with regard to friendships. Making friends required more time and work than I anticipated.

God has been so gracious through this season of loneliness. First, he gave me a dear friend in Kathy Stewart, whose husband came to serve alongside Jason as a pastor just six months into our relocation. In his kindness, God seemed to speed our relationship forward and we have been able to have fun and fellowship that I thought would take years to cultivate. God has also been gracious to help me get passed the self pity, and really have faith regarding friends. He has shown me that it’s not about having gal pals, BFF’s etc. It’s about being part of His church, a community of believers. He has helped me have faith that these people in this local church in Ohio are His provision for me to mature as a believer. Through eyes of faith I am seeing that my current community of believers is even better for me than my previous one. And I have faith that one day, these relationships that are just beginning will be dearer to me than those I’ve had in the past. I marvel that this is possible. When I’m tempted to look back at what I enjoyed at my old church, rather than give in to self pity, I try to have faith that this will happen for me again in a new location. God who gives precious gifts in the form of friendships, will continue to give these good gifts here in Ohio.

And She Lived Happily Ever After?

As hard as it was to begin my relocation story, it’s equally as hard to end it. Do I end with where I am now in the process? Do I end with what a privilege it has been to be “sent” by one dear church to serve another dear church? Do I end with how much more I respect my husband as he’s grown in his leadership not only of a church, but of our family as well? Do I end with how grateful I am to experience “for the sake of the gospel” in concrete terms not an abstract sentiment?

I think I have to end, not with my relocation story, but with the story of another relocation. Jesus left Heaven to come to earth. He left being perfectly worshiped and adored, to being doubted and denied. He, the perfect holy One, creator and sustainer of life, became a man. He was tempted in every way, but did not sin. He ministered to the poor and helpless. He obeyed the Father’s will even to the point of death on a cross. But He didn’t stay here on earth. He ascended into heaven and is now ruling and reigning at the right hand of the Father. His relocation story is the only one that truly matters. It’s in His relocating, that I do my relocating. And I long for the day, like I never have before, when we will be together in His presence never to relocate again. It’s only on that day that any of us will truly be “home”.