Moving On

Well, the first leg of our journey has begun. The last several weeks have been a whirlwind of events, and I haven't even had time to write about them. For 18 months we have been waiting, searching, and preparing for what God has called us to do. David and I both knew that we were called to serve in the local church. We had no idea where we would be or what that would look like, but in obedience to the call, we gave Liberty University an 18 month notice. We committed to the Lord that in May, 2011 we would move on from Liberty and step into the next phase of our lives together.

January, 2011 arrived... we still knew nothing. February blew by... still, no words of clarity from the Lord. March swept in and out without our permission, April was just as rude, and before we knew it May was upon us. Still we waited. We fasted, we prayed, and we actively searched, but we both felt a calm over our spirits.

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way..." (Psalm 37:7).

"Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."(Isaiah 40:30-31)

We waited and we rested in the promise of our God. He always takes care of His children. We committed our plans to Him, and let Him take care of the rest. In the middle of May we visited Cross Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They had a need for a University Pastor. The goal was to hire someone who would build a bridge between Cross Church and the University of Arkansas. They wanted David to do the job. As David and I spent four days with the staff in the church, excitement grew. We both felt God confirming that this was the place.

But Arkansas?

Fayetteville, AR is 24 hours from Worcester, MA where my family is from and 12 hours from Auburn, GA where David's family lives. The goal was to move closer to family, wasn't it? We wrestled with this for a week, asking God to shut the door if He did not want us to walk through it. At the end of the week, we both knew that this was not only what God wanted us to do, but it was what we wanted to do. We walked through the open door God provided, and here we are in Georgia saying our final goodbye's, all of our belongings being somewhere between Lynchburg, VA and Fayetteville, AR.

God does some amazing things when you allow Him to. What is He calling you to do? Have you answered His call? Are you willing to wait patiently for the Lord regardless of the agonizing desire to take control yourself? This weak and insignificant girl is encouraging you to try.