“Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure” – Pope John Paul II.
I think if there was a quote the defined our ministry, family, marriage, and our lives, this would be it.
I never sat around as a child and dreamed of a normal American life. I dreamed of a life full of adventure and greatness. I dreamed of doing things, big and small, that mattered. I dreamed of being someone who would make an impact on the world and the next generation.
When Scott and I got married six years ago, lots of things were uncertain. In fact, we had a whole future lifetime together that at the time was just one big question mark. What would God have us do?
This one thing we knew for sure: it would not be a normal American life. Because together we dreamed of adventure and greatness. Together we dreamed of doing things, big and small, that mattered. Together we dreamed of being people who would make an impact on the world and the next generation.
We traveled and served and traveled some more. We loved life on the road, through all of its ups and downs. We were able to serve wherever and when ever we were called to. We dreamed bigger with each passing month, constantly seeing God’s hand of provision and grace on our lives and ministry.
And then we sensed the need to come back to Tulsa to establish some roots. It was good to have a home to come back to and a place to start our family. Two years ago, when we found out I was pregnant with Madeline, we made the decision for me to stay put in Tulsa. It was what was best for our family, but it was not an easy decision.
Many days we felt like caged birds sitting on the front porch, stuck just watching the world go by and yearning for so much more. We know to many people it looked like we had given up on ministry and moved to Tulsa to live ‘normal’ lives. Some days, to be honest, it felt like that.
And yet God was so faithful to provide us with opportunities to serve local churches right where we were at. It was not easy, and it certainly was not ministry as we envisioned it, but it was God’s will for us for the season.
After Emily was born, we knew that season (or time in the desert, as it seemed like) was coming to an end. But what was next? Like most of our lives, the future was one big question mark. Scott wondered out loud if God was finally going to let him live in the mountains of Colorado. I didn’t want to be the one to burst his bubble 😉
So what is next? Just like you, God leads us only one step at a time. We know that today’s step is for us to pack up our little home in Tulsa and move our family into our travel trailer to serve together on the road full time. Where God will take us tomorrow, well, we will tell you when He tells us.
“The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.”— Pope Benedict XVI