Wednesday, October 4, 2017

A New Season of Life

If I were to describe my life, I would have to describe it as seasons.  Shortly after Michael and I got married the seasons started. 

First, I had a season of giving birth. For six years, I was growing life and giving birth to life, literally. Those years are a blur to me. I feel like I was constantly pregnant and some people only knew me as preggos. So much can go wrong in pregnancy and birth, we are blessed that God was watching over us.  

Then, God called our family to move east a couple states. That is when the season of ministry began. The years of giving birth literally had come to a close, but a new birth began. I started working with Michael in youth ministry and growing spiritual life.  Those years are so dear to me and I am blessed by the many people that touched our lives. Someone said to me it's like I'm spinning plates constantly keeping everything going.  It's true, that was our life. The cool part of that season is our children still talk about it today; they tell stories of students in our home, bible studies and all the crazy things they got to do because of youth and young adult ministry.  It isn't just the stories that are cool though, it is that so many young people invested into the lives of our children. 

When ministry was going good, God stirred up our lives even more by asking us to move farther east.  We were already pretty far east in America, but he wanted us to jump an ocean. With this jump, we enter our season as missionaries in Guinea Bissau. This was a season of giving everything we had as a family to serve sacrificially. I'm not going to write much on that season because, well, this entire blog talks about that life.  

In changing seasons, a complete reliance on Christ is absolutely necessary. The culture shock of moving to Africa was difficult, but when God called us back to America, that culture shock may have been worse. This enters us into a new season. I have struggled to know what my role is in this season.  Michael clearly has a role, but where am I? My heart is spread over so many places, do I have anything left? A sermon of my husbands comes to mind, "If you don't put gas in the car you won't go anywhere."  The same is true for our lives.  I may feel like I have nothing left, but God is already filling me.  When I am in worship is often when God speaks to me and makes things clear for me. I recently realized that in this season, I am investing in my children.  I am serving them that they may grow into servants of the Most Holy One.  The same way we served students, young adults and the people of Guinea Bissau, now I am serving my children. Their spiritual lives are just as important as all the other lives I have invested into. This is my season of pouring into my children. This is probably the most thankless job, but yet the most rewarding.  While I am always looking for ways to minister, I am at peace with ministering to my children. 

When we left our church in Pennsylvania, Michael's last sermon to the youth was on seasons from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.  That sermon has stuck with me and ran through my head many times. For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven (v.1).  As I buckle up for this next ride in life, I am fully aware that God is with me and going before me.  

I have contemplated discontinuing this blog, since it was specifically for our mission work in Guinea Bissau.  However, I can't.  I have this tug on my heart that maybe someone would be blessed with reading about our life. I will randomly spill the beans on our serving God in America while raising a crazy family that is absolutely crazy for Jesus. If you like it, share it.  May God use these words to call many to him!!! 

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