As 2015 draws to a conclusion and I actually have some time to reflect on the whirlwind that will soon conclude, I thought it expedient to share some of the experiences that rank the past dozen months as some of the most significant in our family’s life.
January started normal enough as we were hunkered down for the typical Northern Indiana winter. The Lord had blessed us in every imaginable way. We were all relatively healthy. The Lord was blessing our church and I was settled in to a job that was simultaneously personally rewarding and challenging. All of our needs were being met. In other words, we were in a comfortable place. It is in such cocoons that God ofttimes works.
Unbeknownst to only a few, I had been struggling for the past year or so with what the Lord’s will was for my ministry and subsequently, our family. I am rapidly entering the stage of life where the horizon is in sight and this caused me to become intentional about what (and where) He wanted me be with the remainder of my life in mind. While cognizant of this stirring, I wanted to be sure that whatever changes were on the horizon, it was the movement of the Lord and not merely sentiment. Therefore, I devoted much time to prayer and reflection in His word and sought the counsel of wise individuals. I was content to let the matter rest until a clearer path was opened.
The family and I were blessed to spend our Spring Break in beautiful Lake Guntersville State Park in Alabama. This was really the first extended period of quiet time that we had enjoyed since winter break. It was during this time that we earnestly started thinking about our future and praying that God would reveal His will for us in the future. This time of focused and fervent prayer was about to be answered in an incredible way!
Two takeaways from our experiences thus far is that God can (and will) shake us out of our comfort zones. Luke 12 warns us against trusting in such ease. Rather, we should always be seeking the kingdom of God and not laying up treasures for ourselves (Luke 12:31). We have definitely learned that lesson in this adventure. The Lord can mess up your nest!
We have also been astonished at the power of prayer and the miracle of God hearing and answering our feeble petitions. In Matthew 7:11 Jesus said, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Our heavenly father is faithful to give us what we need when we ask! In our case, it involved opening some doors for the next chapter in our lives.
But that is another story for another day!
Blessings,
Michael D. Green, Jr.
No comments:
Post a Comment