I left the comfort and security of North Carolina almost a year ago now. Mike and I both had good jobs, we had a great house that we loved (yep... that one in the picture), wonderful friends, a great church community, the beautiful mountains, and life was truly wonderful. Life felt like a warm fuzzy blanket in front of a fireplace on a chilly night with the love of your life... quite cozy and comfortable. Then.... God threw us quite a curve ball and before we knew it, He was telling us to leave it all behind to move across the country... and here we are today.
The first few months here in Arizona were exciting... almost a honeymoon phase if you will. Everywhere we went was a new adventure and we were excited about the church plant. We were meeting often as a small group and we soon started to make plans for expanding and growing our group. We were starting to see why we were really here in action. But soon, things started to get hard for each family here.
For our family, it really spiraled downwards and we became weary very quick. Mike got terribly sick again in July and was in and out of the hospital. By the end of August he was pulled out of work by his doctors, was hardly able to function, often confused and had trouble putting words together, and he has been off ever since. I won't lie... it's been hard! Finances have been tighter than they've been in years and it's often robbing from the next paycheck to pay the bills this paycheck. Mike is unable to even get through a grocery store without extreme fatigue and dizziness setting in, often leaving him on "house arrest".
There have been times where we get weak. We start to think about the "easy way out". Believe me, we KNOW that we could pack up, move back to North Carolina, and even jump right back into our old jobs without skipping a beat and our friends back home would love it if we called today and said we're on our way. One even joked with me that she is SURE God is telling her that we are supposed to move back (kidding, of course!) We have a team of doctors there that know Mike and we trust. Everything we feel secure in is in North Carolina.
But, is that what God calls us to do? To run and bury our heads when times get tough? To take the easy route when times get tough? Remember, it's the devil's business to distract us from the goal. The more we focus on what we see as reasons why we can't do what we're here for (illness, money, time, etc.) the farther away from Christ we will become, and the reason we are here to begin gets a bit far out of reach. Is that going to please God?
Or does He want us to have faith in Him, stand tall, and do what we are here to do. Afterall, He gives us a firm warning in Matthew 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven". When God calls us, we should have faith in His plan and be firm in that faith through ALL things. Paul gives us great words in Philippians 3:14 when he says "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus". The goal is the smile of the Lord when He is able to say "Well done, good and faithful servant" to his children.
Things are GOING to be hard at times and we are GOING to be challenged. My goal is to praise Him in all we do. To persevere in times of trial and to give Him glory through it ALL... the good, the bad, and the ugly. And in the end, to let our story of faith and perseverance be a testimony to others that we are blessed to share His gospel with so that others may have the same hope in Christ that we have so that I may hear the words "Well done!".
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