Change

I have had several changes in my life lately. Changes in the way I feel, the way I see certain things, the way I think, those sort of changes. One big change was when God led us away from our home church of 12 1/2 years. We were comfortable there. We love the church, and all the people in it. But something started happening about a year ago. I had a vision while sitting in church, listening to a sermon. I was listening to the preaching, when suddenly, I was somewhere else. I could hear what was going on around me, but I was aware of other things going on in front of me. To make a long story short, I felt God was showing me that in a matter of time, I was to go. After that, things started becoming very clear. I still TRIED to ignore the vision. I didn't want to hear the message God had for me.

Later in the year, in November, Carolyn had her surgery, and two weeks later, I had my surgery. I was off work for a week with Carolyn, and then I was off work for six weeks for my surgery. This gave me LOTS of time to sit and think. I wasn't allowed to do much else. In those couple of months, God changed me dramatically. I could see that He was doing things, changing things, in my and Carolyn's lives. I had been the choir director at our church for a few years, and loved doing it. I had also done the nursing home ministry for our church for about ten years, and loved it. I started feeling God leading me to quit the choir director position, and stop two of the nursing homes we were doing. These were big changes for me. Again, I was comfortable doing these things. I felt called by God to do them. But now, He was pulling me back. I was ready, but I didn't want to disappoint our church family. I had to make a choice. Make the church happy, or God. I had to choose God.

By the middle of March, we knew we were going to be leaving our church, but we didn't know where we were going. We felt like Abraham and Sarah. It was scary, but exciting. We didn't know how to tell our church we were leaving. So, as I do about EVERYTHING, I prayed and prayed and prayed. Again, long story short, we decided to just tell them, and go. It didn't go so well. Nobody understood what we were doing. They thought we were making a big mistake, and wanted us to stay. We did too, but we knew we couldn't. Easter Sunday was our last Sunday at our church, and we haven't looked back.

We have been at our new church for about two months, and LOVE it. We are exactly where we are supposed to be. The point of this post, is to show that when God makes a change in your life, you can fight it, or go where He tells you to go. Give in, and let God lead you. He knows far more than we do, where we belong. He knows where He can use you, more than you do. Change is good, when God is doing the changing. How great is our God. Amen.

The Good Old Days

I watched part of 'The Music Man' on TV this morning, and it made me miss the way we used to do things. I miss sitting on the front porch, talking with family and friends. I miss casual walks through town, without worrying if somebody was going to mess with you. I miss the slow pace of things. Everything is such a rush now. I miss the interaction with neighbors, and people you meet on the streets. Noboby wants to talk anymore. I think people are scared, or just withdrawn from society. People don't trust like they used to. My grandpa used to sleep with his door unlocked, and wide open, at night. You'd be hard-pressed to find ANYBODY that does that now. It's just sad how things have changed in just my lifetime. If it's not locked up or nailed down, then it's fair game.

I hate the fact that the world seems smaller now, too. With the internet, sattelite and cable TV, cell phones, etc., there's no mystery left. When I was younger, someplace on the other side of the world seemed so exotic, so faraway. Now, I can get on the internet, find a webcam in some foreign country, or on the top of some mountain, and I'm there. It's all at my fingertips. In 'The Music Man', the whole town turned out for the Wells Fargo Wagon when it came to town. They had to wait so long to receive things when they ordered them, from a catolog, it was like Christmas Day every time something arrived. Now, I order something from Hong Kong, on the internet, and it's here within the week. And if it's not, I'm upset. Rush, rush, rush. Now, now, now. It's a microwave world, and at times, I fit in like a wood burning stove. I just really, really miss the old days.