Moving On

New orders have come down from the top, and I mean the very top. I have been called and sent to a new post, a new field of ministry and service. I will soon be responsible for leading a whole new battalion of believers, leaving behind the faithful troops that have been my assignment for fourteen years. We have taken a long journey together and now our paths are separating, pastor and people moving in different directions. Suzanne and I will soon be moving from Sedalia to Arlington, Virginia, where I will serve as Senior Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church.

How painful it is to leave behind all those who have been so much a part of my life and ministry. Our children have grown up here from just little tikes into young adults and our once noisy and crowded house has emptied. Strangers have become friends, friends have become family, and a community has become our home. Pulling up stakes is a painful process, but by now we all know it goes with the territory. This is life, isn't it, always interrupted by sad goodbyes and new hellos, holding on and letting go, packing up and moving on. 

What a potent mix of emotions I am feeling these days, a roller coaster soaring up in excitement and anticipation and the next moment plummeting downward in sadness and grief. The only thing that steadies me is the firm grip of God's Spirit and His strong peace that anchors our lives in times of upheaval and change. He is faithful and He is in charge. God gives the orders. What else do we really need to know?