We've had a bit of a rough week. Our female black lab, Charlie, has been in obvious pain on-and-off for a couple of months. Our vet friend gave us some pain killers a month or so ago, but this last week they didn't seem to help. We called our vet and told her our situation and she told us to bring Charlie in, that they have a fund that can help financially.
Long story short, Charlie's pancreas and liver weren't working well and were continuing to fail and we ended up having to make the difficult decision to put her down last Friday.
This is not the first dog we've put down. But Charlie was with us during a particularly challenging time in our lives - going through seminary - and was definitely a big part of our story in Pittsburgh.
I find myself tearing up at the most mundane moments... Fixing dinner and looking down to find that expectant and hopeful face looking up at me. Going upstairs to bed and expecting to see a big black circle already curled up on the doggie bed.
I was browsing through the pictures of dogs and puppies at the Humane Society, online, and at various rescue agencies when I finally realized I was looking for Charlie. None of these dogs were fitting the bill.
We're going to two memorial services this week. Having just gone through this with Charlie, I can't imagine what it must be like to lose a spouse or a parent... What a gift God gives us in ALL His creation - humans and animals alike. They come into our lives and challenge us and love us, change us and contribute in molding us more and more into the likeness of Jesus. And then they leave us.
I found myself yesterday, as I was walking with Sean and Megan's dog Emma, feeling angry. "C'mon God! Can we just GET ON WITH IT?! What more is there to learn? What more is there that we need to go through before we're ready for this church You have for us?!!! Enough already!"
I had a Skype interview with a small church in NC last week, and after talking again with one of the folks on the Pastor Nominating Committee it sounded like they were just going to finish checking my references and they'd be inviting me to come and preach in a neutral pulpit. But it's been a number of days now and I've heard nothing. The up and down of this process is exhausting.
We've learned a lot through our seminary experience and in the last five or so months, and I think the biggest thing God wants us to continually learn through all of this is to cling to HIM. As much as we love the people around us...as much as we love the sweet animals He's blessed us with...God wants us to come to Him when we're hurting. He wants us to come to Him when we're struggling. He wants us to come to Him when we're angry - even angry with Him!
I know I can be overly dependent on my animals - and my people. I'm learning to lean more and more on Him, fully. One more lesson learned (or at least eyes have been opened - it'll be a lifetime of learning to live it).
Are we there yet?
~Sally
The Family - Summer, 2023
Love these people!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Ok God, We're Ready!
Well, we've come a long way from graduation day. We lived two months in Florida with family and made our way to Colorado in August - looking for work to pay the bills and continuing to wait for God to call us to a church. Along the way we were challenged to let God out of the box we had put Him in, and in so doing we expanded our possibilities to churches across the country. It seems that God continues to challenge us to trust Him....on every level.
He has provided for us in amazing ways over the last four months as we have both searched for local jobs and continued to apply for church positions. Generous friends have gifted us with money, others have hired us to housesit and paid us generously. Family has provided housing and food, gas money and even entertainment! We have been hired to pick peaches, to pick grapes, to sort grapes, and now maybe even bottle wine. We have been given the opportunity to broker apples for groups to sell as fundraisers - and that will probably pay our "non-negotiable" bills for November! We've done what we could - applied, made ourselves willing to work, and God has provided - many times abundantly....and still....we wait...
About three weeks ago I had a church request a video sermon. I had had one church earlier in the summer request one and I had hurriedly put one together and recorded it, but I wasn't totally happy with it. So I recorded another, and made them both available to the church.
The following week I was looking through all of the churches (four, I think) open in Colorado. I became intrigued with a small church in Alamosa, a town in southeast Colorado with a population just over 8500. It is agricultural and hosts many Mexican migrant workers. They have a large Hispanic population and there are many ministry opportunities within the community. The more I looked at it the more excited I got at the potential for ministry at this little church. The only problem was that it was a part-time position. They had a manse (church-owned house for the pastor), but only paid around $27,000. We need a lot more than that to cover our bills. But maybe I could garner support as a "missionary" from friends and churches to cover the other half of the salary. I felt certain that if God called us there, He would provide.
So I applied for the position in Alamosa. A few days later I received an email that the church has a candidate that they are fairly certain on, but if things don't go as planned they'll keep my information. I was disappointed. I really thought God might be calling us there...
A week or so later a funny thing happened. I had contacted a church in NC asking if they were still accepting PIFs (Pastor Information Forms) since they'd been advertising for a couple of months. The woman replied that they were, and the committee was meeting on Wed. (it was Mon.). So I sent my information.
Thursday morning I received an email saying that they spent most of their evening talking about my information and they would like a video sermon...
The next day I received another email from a different church in NC that I had been really excited about. They also wanted a video sermon.
Three days later - this last Monday - I got a call from a church in OH wanting to chat.
And yesterday I received an email from a church in TN with a list of questions they want me to answer, as they are also interested in me.
I listened to a sermon this morning from First Pres. Grand Junction about the transforming power of Christ. The pastor, Travis, talked about how growing churches, churches that are being transformed by the power of Jesus, are churches who take risks. They are willing to take risks as they live into the call Christ has on them.
In the same way, PEOPLE being transformed by Christ, individuals who are growing in their faith, are those people who are taking risks for Christ.
I truly believe that all this craziness with all of these churches contacting me has come about because, once again, God challenged us to trust Him - to take a risk for Him (in applying to the Alamosa church)...and because we were faithful, He was faithful as well.
I could be TOTALLY wrong, but I think God uses opportunities like the Alamosa church to ask us, "Do you REALLY trust Me? Are you REALLY putting all of your hope in Me, or in yourselves and your own efforts? Do you have to see everything lined up perfectly before you'll follow Me?" Our answer, our mantra has become, "We trust You fully, Lord. For everything."
As the days get colder and my summer clothes aren't providing enough layers, I have no doubt that God will provide.
As the gas tank nears empty and the $3.79 per gallon seems much more tolling than it used to, I have no doubt that God will provide.
As we tire of living in someone else's house, depending on others for almost everything, I have no doubt that God will provide.
We worked at the homeless shelter last week serving dinner to the residents. As I looked at those people it came to me that the only difference between us and them was loving family, loving and active church family, and faith in a God who is much bigger than you or I.
We give thanks daily, sometimes hourly, for all He has provided and all He will provide. We know He has a church for us that will be just what we need to draw us nearer to Him - and we will be just what they need as well. Oh Lord, we pray it is soon, but we know that whenever it happens it will be just the right time...
Oh Lord, may all that we do, all that we live, draw not only us but also those we share it with, ever closer to You. Amen.
~Sally
He has provided for us in amazing ways over the last four months as we have both searched for local jobs and continued to apply for church positions. Generous friends have gifted us with money, others have hired us to housesit and paid us generously. Family has provided housing and food, gas money and even entertainment! We have been hired to pick peaches, to pick grapes, to sort grapes, and now maybe even bottle wine. We have been given the opportunity to broker apples for groups to sell as fundraisers - and that will probably pay our "non-negotiable" bills for November! We've done what we could - applied, made ourselves willing to work, and God has provided - many times abundantly....and still....we wait...
About three weeks ago I had a church request a video sermon. I had had one church earlier in the summer request one and I had hurriedly put one together and recorded it, but I wasn't totally happy with it. So I recorded another, and made them both available to the church.
The following week I was looking through all of the churches (four, I think) open in Colorado. I became intrigued with a small church in Alamosa, a town in southeast Colorado with a population just over 8500. It is agricultural and hosts many Mexican migrant workers. They have a large Hispanic population and there are many ministry opportunities within the community. The more I looked at it the more excited I got at the potential for ministry at this little church. The only problem was that it was a part-time position. They had a manse (church-owned house for the pastor), but only paid around $27,000. We need a lot more than that to cover our bills. But maybe I could garner support as a "missionary" from friends and churches to cover the other half of the salary. I felt certain that if God called us there, He would provide.
So I applied for the position in Alamosa. A few days later I received an email that the church has a candidate that they are fairly certain on, but if things don't go as planned they'll keep my information. I was disappointed. I really thought God might be calling us there...
A week or so later a funny thing happened. I had contacted a church in NC asking if they were still accepting PIFs (Pastor Information Forms) since they'd been advertising for a couple of months. The woman replied that they were, and the committee was meeting on Wed. (it was Mon.). So I sent my information.
Thursday morning I received an email saying that they spent most of their evening talking about my information and they would like a video sermon...
The next day I received another email from a different church in NC that I had been really excited about. They also wanted a video sermon.
Three days later - this last Monday - I got a call from a church in OH wanting to chat.
And yesterday I received an email from a church in TN with a list of questions they want me to answer, as they are also interested in me.
I listened to a sermon this morning from First Pres. Grand Junction about the transforming power of Christ. The pastor, Travis, talked about how growing churches, churches that are being transformed by the power of Jesus, are churches who take risks. They are willing to take risks as they live into the call Christ has on them.
In the same way, PEOPLE being transformed by Christ, individuals who are growing in their faith, are those people who are taking risks for Christ.
I truly believe that all this craziness with all of these churches contacting me has come about because, once again, God challenged us to trust Him - to take a risk for Him (in applying to the Alamosa church)...and because we were faithful, He was faithful as well.
I could be TOTALLY wrong, but I think God uses opportunities like the Alamosa church to ask us, "Do you REALLY trust Me? Are you REALLY putting all of your hope in Me, or in yourselves and your own efforts? Do you have to see everything lined up perfectly before you'll follow Me?" Our answer, our mantra has become, "We trust You fully, Lord. For everything."
As the days get colder and my summer clothes aren't providing enough layers, I have no doubt that God will provide.
As the gas tank nears empty and the $3.79 per gallon seems much more tolling than it used to, I have no doubt that God will provide.
As we tire of living in someone else's house, depending on others for almost everything, I have no doubt that God will provide.
We worked at the homeless shelter last week serving dinner to the residents. As I looked at those people it came to me that the only difference between us and them was loving family, loving and active church family, and faith in a God who is much bigger than you or I.
We give thanks daily, sometimes hourly, for all He has provided and all He will provide. We know He has a church for us that will be just what we need to draw us nearer to Him - and we will be just what they need as well. Oh Lord, we pray it is soon, but we know that whenever it happens it will be just the right time...
Oh Lord, may all that we do, all that we live, draw not only us but also those we share it with, ever closer to You. Amen.
~Sally
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