I Finished That Season Well!

I have been fortunate enough to move in rhythm with God’s grace. Not every moment in the last eleven and a half years was graceful, but somehow, I found grace for each moment. Mostly, it was God being gracious to me and teaching me how to reciprocate that grace to others.

I was 33 when I began to care for and lead a group of people who called me their pastor. I had no clue what I was doing, but I knew how to love people, so I did what I could do, and they taught me how to do the rest. We made a great team.

Our children were 14 (Macie), 6 (Mia), 4 (Keelie), and 1 (Kole). Kenny could still hold Kole like a football.

Today, Kenny looks more like he is holding a puppet.😂

*Recreating photos don’t always work out as you imagine.  Sometimes, they are far better!

But, this is us now! Oh, how we all have grown in so many ways.  Our family expanded. Kali, our youngest, was born during our time here.  And we gained Avery, our son-in-law ❣️. I can’t imagine us without all of us.

Our church grew. Some came, and others left. We merged churches, sold buildings, and worked through personality differences.  We helped many finish their journey well and grieved with their family, our family. We helped people find their voices and showed them the value of giving their best yes or no. We celebrated births, birthdays, marriages, anniversaries, graduates, and new careers. We celebrated and grieved divorces, children moving out, and new life stages. We watched children climb the stairs like a herd of elephants just to get to children’s church. We watched our youth grow, dwindle, and grow again. We gained, and we lost. And still, we stayed tethered to God and grounded in our faith.

Our faith continued to mature, and we found there is always more to learn and new ways to see as we age.

As I move out of the role of pastoring such precious people, I feel much gratitude and excitement. 

I FINISHED THAT SEASON WELL!

All is well.

I’m enjoying the NOW and open to the continued movement of God’s grace in me and the world around me.

Amen.