My last blog post on this site was August of 2019. So much has changed in our world since then. Covid had not entered our world and changed nearly everything. Leslie and I had an infant at home, and now we have what feels like a little man running around our home. We are pursuing another child through adoption. We were on the brink a year ago at this time of nearly losing both of my parents to to Covid, while I was at the same time very sick with it myself. I have now served three years at Parkway Baptist Church as the Minister of Administration/Education, but in many respects I feel like I just started. I've tried to catch my breath from it all, but I think i'm still trying. In some respects, I think we all are.
We never quite know what the next day, week, month or year will bring. I think most of us have learned that quite well over the past few years. God has shed so much grace on my family in the last 3 years, however, that I cannot complain. He spared my parents and kept them alive, for which we are grateful. We spared me even through an incredibly tough year of kidney stones and 3 surgeries. Many saw the stay at home orders early on in the pandemic as a negative, but it allowed Leslie and I to get to know our son in ways we never would have had life just went on as "normal". During the most precious time 18 months-2 years old, we were with him every single day. I would not trade that for the world. Many saw the shutdowns as injustice. I saw them as an opportunity to slow down, change pace, and focus. So many of our lives and families are incredibly busy. TOO busy. We equate this as just normal. I was glad for the change. Now mind you, the shutdowns affected many people negatively through the loss of jobs, etc. My heart hurt during this time for so many that were struggling in this way, and still does, so I mean no disrespect whatsoever to those who have and are suffering. I pray for those daily who have struggled physically, economically, socially, and spiritually. Make no mistake about it-when the pandemic hit I was working around the clock helping our church continue to push forward. From virtual services to caring for people, from serving our community to engaging our people-the ministry and life didn't stop just because a pandemic was happening. And it was taxing, and left me exhausted. But God, in His grace, sustained me, as well as our church, through it all. It wasn't easy. It was the closest I have ever come to leading blindly that I have ever been in. We all like to think we have all the right ideas and answers in leadership, until we actually have to do it. COVID presented opportunities in leadership they never teach in seminary or Bible college. However-at the end of the day, the scriptures and faithfulness of God were all we needed to sustain us. Leading blindly means having to completely trust that God is going to sustain you and those you are leading. t's hard sometimes to trust, isn't it?! But what I have learned the last two years is that as much as I want to be in control, i'm not. And neither are you. As much as I think every idea I have is the right one, it's not. And neither are yours. However, God calls us to lead, and he calls us to do it with courage. Courageous leadership is challenging, because again, you don't always see the goal line. As a Christian, you know who is waiting there at the end, however. So if you have felt rattled as I have at times the last few years as we've walked through the craziness of our world, know that our Savior is waiting at the goal line, even if it feels foggy and it's hard to see the goal. And also remember-there is purpose behind the fog. Never forget-there is purpose behind the fog, and the Lord is always waiting for you. In fact, he never left you, and is walking with you the entire time through it. Comments are closed.
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