{{Our Saturday night}}
{{Love these moments}}
Y'all....tonight it hit me. We've lived here for 14 months. We've lived in 2 houses. We've went to 3 churches. We've spent many many many hours praying and asking God to show us why we're here and what to do now that we are here. We've been excited. We've felt defeated. We've felt intimated. We've felt like part of the team.
Tonight, we were standing in worship around a baptism pool and the music started going and people started celebrating the lives that were being changed. It was such a perfect moment. I remember sitting in that auditorium (pretty close to where I was tonight) about 3 months ago...the week the Moore tornado devastated our city. I remember crying with those that lost loved ones and homes. I remember standing with arms stretched out wide giving it up to God and thinking "God...we know you're going to use this as a powerful message and, somehow, light is going to shine." It was emotional. It was surreal. Yet tonight, I cried seeing all the lives being changed with baptism. I cheered with the church/the city. I thought about families being restored. I thought about the hope that is coming back to this city. I witnessed the amazing miracles that God has done during this summer.
We walked out of service and talked to many friends & had dinner with some of them that we met not too long ago..but yet, I feel like we have belonged for a while. We don't feel like the "new guys". We feel like family. We celebrate together. We cry together. We pray together. Travis and I got in the car and looked at each other and you could just tell that behind our huge smiles we were both thinking "God...you are so perfect. Your timing is everything."
Tonight--we thought about our futures here. We thought about our kids growing up in our church. We thought about planting our roots. Ask us 14 months ago...and we would have said 'heck no. not happening. not staying here." shoot...ask us 6 months ago and we probably would have said that also.
That attitude all went back to the amazing adventures and life group that we were blessed by during our couple of years in Houston. We were told we were moving to Oklahoma and honestly...the hardest part about leaving was leaving our life group. Those are our true friends. We're going to be alone in OK. (these were the thoughts crowding our brain the weeks leading up to us moving) It was tough. But we knew (sadly to say...deeeeeepppp down) that God had His perfect reason for moving us. We knew that He wouldn't leave us. We knew that Ephesians 3:20 was also true in Oklahoma and wherever we were going...He was there. Waiting for us. Anxious to see us carry out His plan for us. So we had hope.
Today--I am so blessed to be a witness of Ephesians 3:20 once again. He has plans for us that are beyond our wildest dreams.
If you're facing any challenges/changes, I encourage you to look ahead. Know that God is already there and He already knows what you're going to go through. Don't hold on to "how it is" and choose to not experience what He could have for you in a new season. Sure, it's hard but just because you have to leave or change something, doesn't mean that those people/experiences have to leave your memories. Take the opportunity to grow. I know that when I moved, I got better at "keeping in touch" because..let's be real...from thousands of miles away (between CA, TX and OK)...'keeping in touch' is a whole 'nother level!
He's ready for you to embrace your new experiences. He places blessings OUT THERE for you to discover when you take yourself out of the 'comfortable' and 'normal' and walk into a change/challenge that He has put in front of you. He overcame death so He can help you overcome whatever you need to!
Take a deep breath and smile...it's gonna be alright ;)
-M
