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
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