As I’ve told you, it looks like my time of regular supply is coming to an end and I was doing well with this information until I realized how much time I am going to have on my hands when it happens. The thing is I love crafting services for Sunday. Digging into the word and finding interesting, compelling ways of sharing stories we’ve all heard time and again is challenging. Finding the heart of the message and engaging it is a thrill. I’m going to have way too much time on my hands when that work stops.
The future’s not looking too good from where I sit right now. I like to be busy. I feel productive and happy when I’ve got something on the go. Over the past week I’ve been found sitting at my desk listening to music without writing, watching countless episodes of Community and opening many books without actually reading a line in them. I have too much time on my hands and that’s a dangerous thing for me.
I’m not ungrateful for all I’ve been given. I recognize that these three years have been a marvellous blessing for my family. When my son was sick we were lucky to have the resources available to allow me to stay home and be there for him. I’ve worked whenever I was able to. It’s just that it’s now sinking in that that’s going to stop. All the plans I’ve been making and ideas I’ve been working on will probably come to nothing. The book I picked up the other day on Ephesians to help with a sermon series idea probably wasn’t necessary as I likely won’t do the sermon series unless I start leading a random weeknight service somewhere because I won’t have anywhere to preach.
It’s going to be a fairly tricky transition for me. My schedule will change and my life will look different. I know it’s coming fast and I also know that God has his hand in it. It’s the right thing for everyone involved even if it’s difficult in some ways for me. Sometimes what God wants isn’t easy and transition towards the new way can be rough. Even so it always seems to works it’s way out.
I’m not alone in this I know. It is a time of transition for many of us in the church. We see buildings closing, worship styles shifting and people moving in and out of our midst. Things won’t look the same when all is said and done but that’s ok. What is coming next will be worth it if we hang on through the rough stuff.
It’s a time of transition. To what I don’t know but wherever I wind up will be where God leads. The key thing here is surrendering my desires and following God’s direction. I’m working on that. Some days it’s harder than others but I know in the end that God knows best and what happens will be a good thing.
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Do you have any great transition stories? How do you handle periods of change? Where do you think God is leading you?
