I was a member of West Jackson St. Baptist Church for 22 years! A sweet dear friend of mine that I still hold close today, named Candice McKnight Fulgham , invited me to come there with her when I was in the sixth grade. It didn't take me long to figure out that I loved being there, and it's there I stayed until I was 32. That is a long time and that's why it's been so hard for me to let go. For a while when Kevin and I began discussing moving on, I would barely hear of it. I made it all about me and the "memories" I had of growing up in a wonderful church and being lead by one of the best pastors I know. I honestly think I failed to distinguish who was really in charge. I really had to get on my knees and do some soul searching about why God would call us to leave the church that I've always known and loved. It was then that I began to realize that sometimes God has bigger plans. It was then that I began to realize that when man gets in the way of God's business it is our chance to step out on faith and follow Him even when we feel completely blind and clueless about the future. And truly that's how I felt for a while leaving friends and my second row pew at West Jackson.
Then it happened. It clicked. I began to see the light and the gray clouds turned into sunshine. I began to hear God in a way that I have NEVER heard Him before and He was saying to me, "worship ME...period." It's not about who or who is not in charge." "I've never left you and I never will." The ironic thing about it all is that Kevin had the same revelation going on. Through lots of non-coinsidental things that went on in the course of a few months, it was revealed to us just like God had written it on a piece of paper and given it to us Himself. It was time for a fresh start......
We have been to many churches in this community and have prayed consistently for a peace about where we would take our children to church and raise them to love Jesus. At last on December 3, last Sunday, we became a part of First Baptist Church. It felt really good. The people have been so incredibly welcoming and loving and we already have made friendships that we could've never seen coming 5 months ago. It has been a big change and a messy process at times but I know that at this very point in our lives, we are serving exactly where we need to be. It is our hope that we will be able to go all the way to Japan in 2012 if God opens the door for us to go and serve. We are praying that for the rest of our lives going to church will be about what we can "give" and not what we're going to "receive." A peace we've been looking for to say the least.
The picture above (though it's not such a good one!) is all of us having lunch last Sunday with other new members and the staff of FBC. It was a great day! I hope that you will take time to pray for us in our new journey because it's only just begun.
Thank you to those that have fervently prayed for my family. You know who you are and you are what has kept us going.
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