It’s been quite a month for us. Returning from our first glimpse of our new calling in Egypt, while finishing our former calling in Decatur, trapped somewhere in the strange limbo called “itineration”.
In the last couple weeks, I turned 39—for the first time. I know that is sometimes a shock for people as I’ve inherited mom’s good gene’s and I don’t look as old as 39. (Yesterday, my mom came into our reception and sat near a young lady from the community who thought she was my sister!) Though still somewhere before the crest of the infamous “hill” we all dread going over, I’m officially at half of the American male life expectancy (check out this link for unique global statistics about you).
So, if I’m average -- and I’ve always liked to think of myself as above average ;) – then half my life is over, and half is yet to come. That’s just weird to think about; how did I get here? So here’s some reflections on 39…
- I’ve now spent more birthdays with my wife than I did without her—my life is so much richer and fuller than I ever thought possible due to Keli; I am richly blessed by her friendship, partnership, and love.
- I have 3 amazing kids who are brilliant with all our “smarts” and frustrating with all my flaws; in the next 39 years I look forward to see not only their continuing maturity but also their own pursuit of fulfilling God’s purposes for them.
- We’ve traveled beyond our hometowns to the homes of brothers and sisters across the world: Canada, Belize, Guatemala, Guyana, Barbados, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, and now Egypt.
- We are preparing to embark on our greatest adventure as we move our family to Egypt and all the unseen blessings, challenges, growth, and more that will result.
- We’ve been honored to work with some of the most amazing and wonderful Christians on the planet; and humbled by the numbers who have been inspired to pursue ministry as the Lord has called them out from under our leadership to greater arenas of service.
- We’ve been blessed with the opportunity to transition well with lasting friendships and memories from three great churches: Scott Memorial Church of God (Chattanooga, TN), Riverchase Community Church (Birmingham, AL), and now 6th Avenue Church of God (Decatur, AL).
Which brings me to our last week at 6th Avenue…
It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly 8.5 years since we became pastors at 6th Avenue; Zeke was not even 1 year old when we came, Titus was only 2, and Grace was preparing to enter Kindergarten. Despite lots of fond memories shared in the past few weeks, it was not all roses—even in the last few years of helping the Congregation to a new foundation and direction of ministry, it has been a challenging road. The last two Sundays have been special, recognizing the “Mighty Warriors” of the past 8.5 years on the 23rd, and a “Change of Command” service yesterday with their new Lead Pastor Todd. We accepted a wonderful reception by the Congregation yesterday afternoon; we were honored by guests from the community, neighboring churches, and even a few who made the drive from Birmingham. As my dad and I sat together near the end of the event, he said, “Son, you had a good ministry here.” I said, “Yeah, it turned out all right.” Only the blessing of time and hindsight can see the good that transpired from all the struggle that marked our ministry here. I’ve attempted to leave right and provide a good foundation for Pastor Todd to take 6th Avenue further in their mission; only time will tell how well a job we did at that. We’re confident God has big things in store for the wonderful fellowship at 6th Avenue—we look forward to a great reunion day where we can hear all about the great things they are about to do for the Kingdom.
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