Back to the Beginning

Our family just spent a week at a Family Camp for Pastors.  This has become a bit of a family tradition for us and is always a highlight of our summer.  The camp and the venue hold a special place in our lives.  God has spoken to Barb and I powerfully there over the 7 or 8 years that we've attended.  It was 5 years ago this summer that God quite unexpectedly gave me the vision for Legislative Chaplaincy.  It happened like this...

Our speaker that year was Ian Green.  If you've never heard Ian speak, he's fascinating and has a way of helping you hear God's voice.  We arrived for a morning session and Ian announced that the plan for the day was simply to take some time to let God give us a fresh vision for our lives and ministry. (I think this is a brilliant way for a speaker to use a session....)  Given that I was a pastor at that point, I fully expected to get some direction for an exciting fall program.  I was in for a huge surprise....

As I opened my notebook to begin to write, I was shocked to hear God speak to me about starting a Legislative Chaplaincy.  The vision was remarkably clear and specific.  Looking back, It's remarkable to see the way in which what I heard God say has become reality in my life.  It's really nothing short of a miracle.

Over the next few months, Barb and I began to sort out what this would mean for us and for our family.  Our kids would leave everything they knew, we would give up all of what we thought was our security and stability.  One huge lesson was that it's easy to preach about faith and trust.  It's quite another to actually let go of everything you have and know and simply to trust God with the only guarantee being His promise to look after us. The transition took longer than we anticipated, but without a doubt, we made the right decision and are so thankful to serve God and MLA's in the way that we do.

All of this reminds me of God's faithfulness and in His ability to make something out of nothing.  Without a doubt He has gone before us and made our way straight.  We've had our challenges and struggles but it has underscored our confidence in God's ability to absolutely open doors, make provision and calm us while He calms the storm.

We are off to a week of vacation with some friends.  Blessings to you all!