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One of the last video children’s messages I did at Trinity was about walking together in unity even when we’re not physically together. This morning Jeff sent me a photo (above left) taken as he walked in our old neighborhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The photo on the right is of the road I walked this morning not too far from our new home.
As 2020 slowly ground to an end last December, Jeff and I had a conversation with a few friends. One commented that 2021 had to be better than 2020. Another cautioned us to be careful saying things like that because she could just hear God saying, “Oh, you think so? Here, hold my beer!”
I don’t believe God wants to punish us for thinking 2021 couldn’t be worse than 2020, but I also don't believe just because the calendar changes life will get better.
I choked up while telling a story during a Sunday morning message a few weeks ago. It sometimes happens, but this time the story wasn’t personal--it happened at a church Jeff served a few years ago that I didn’t even attend! Afterwards I apologized to a couple members of the congregation saying, “Friday was a really hard day” (cleaning the Trinity parsonage after we’d moved all our stuff out); “actually, this whole week was a bit of a struggle”; well, really the entire month of June has been quite challenging…”
At that point one woman gently interrupted to say, “I think it’s been longer than one month.”
Like it did for many people, the COVID pandemic brought challenges as well as time to reflect and rethink how we live our lives. Like many people, we felt so worn by all that had happened not only during the pandemic year but the past two years. We aren’t sure where we’re headed now, but are glad we’re headed there together.
With his photo of our old home this morning, Jeff texted, “Bittersweet. Mostly memories of raising the boys and walks in the neighborhood plus people we knew. Hope your walk works out for you. Kinda at different points in our lives on our walks [this morning]. Walking together even if apart. Letting go of the old. Facing the new.”
In Ephesians 4:1 Paul urges Christians to “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (ESV). We hope to walk in ways of bolder discipleship moving forward.
As 2020 slowly ground to an end last December, Jeff and I had a conversation with a few friends. One commented that 2021 had to be better than 2020. Another cautioned us to be careful saying things like that because she could just hear God saying, “Oh, you think so? Here, hold my beer!”
I don’t believe God wants to punish us for thinking 2021 couldn’t be worse than 2020, but I also don't believe just because the calendar changes life will get better.
I choked up while telling a story during a Sunday morning message a few weeks ago. It sometimes happens, but this time the story wasn’t personal--it happened at a church Jeff served a few years ago that I didn’t even attend! Afterwards I apologized to a couple members of the congregation saying, “Friday was a really hard day” (cleaning the Trinity parsonage after we’d moved all our stuff out); “actually, this whole week was a bit of a struggle”; well, really the entire month of June has been quite challenging…”
At that point one woman gently interrupted to say, “I think it’s been longer than one month.”
Like it did for many people, the COVID pandemic brought challenges as well as time to reflect and rethink how we live our lives. Like many people, we felt so worn by all that had happened not only during the pandemic year but the past two years. We aren’t sure where we’re headed now, but are glad we’re headed there together.
With his photo of our old home this morning, Jeff texted, “Bittersweet. Mostly memories of raising the boys and walks in the neighborhood plus people we knew. Hope your walk works out for you. Kinda at different points in our lives on our walks [this morning]. Walking together even if apart. Letting go of the old. Facing the new.”
In Ephesians 4:1 Paul urges Christians to “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (ESV). We hope to walk in ways of bolder discipleship moving forward.
| Read Jeff's blog post "Looking Forward/Looking Back" | |
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