Texas Bound

A neighbor asked me several months ago if things were all right at home. When I wondered out loud why she asked, she said John had mentioned something about problems we were having. I knew that wasn't true and politely let her know, to which she hemmed and hawed and finally admitted that she had made it up. She was trying to find out why his car hadn't been in the driveway as much as usual. (Remember Mrs. Kravits from Bewitched?)  I told her about the parenting program he was visiting in Jacksonville and assured her we were fine. She then asked how I was so sure about what John didn't say. "I know him," I said.

That conversation started me thinking about how well I actually know God. Can I be confident about what He would or would not say or do? I could tell my neighbor was bluffing about John because I spend so much time with him. We've taken time out of almost every day for fifteen years to sit down and talk to each other. Obviously, having a basic understanding of the Bible is the beginning of a relationship with God, but without spending time with Him in prayer and quiet I wouldn't be able to say I know Him at all. This is especially important in the midst of a big decision. After much time spent with each other and with God, John and I have finally made one such big decision--to move to Texas. My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a couple of years ago, and we are mainly going there to be near her.

Since making that decision, we've been preparing the church here for our departure. Over the past two years, due to our limited resources, we have intentionally maintained a small group of dedicated individuals to meet in our home, rather than establishing a larger church with a building and programs to sustain. We are now very happy God led us to do it this way. Our focus has been on teaching the Bible and discipling on a small, personal scale in order to lay a strong foundation that will not easily be corrupted. We have every reason to believe that God will personally guide each of these new but committed Christians onto the very ministry He has prepared for them.

We've put our house on the market, and we plan to travel to Colorado at the end of this month where John will marry his niece and her boyfriend. From there we continue on to Texas to see what God has in store for our next mission.