Time for a Change

Have you ever needed a fresh start. Every year, September and October seem to be the toughest season of ministry for me. I always find the fall of the year deflating. I get to the point where I want to cry out, "Why God, why after I pour all that I have into these teenagers do you reward me with nothing. It's like beating my head against a wall. I sacrifice so much and it is all to no avail." Then I'm reminded of Elijah. "God, they want to kill me. I'm the only one left, and now they want to kill me." Remember that. That was right before the earthquake, fire, wind, and all the other natural disasters you can name. But God came to Elijah in a whisper. Sometimes I think that Elijah needed a swift kick. "Listen to what you're saying Eli, have you forgotten how I took care of you, how I'm taking care of you now. Get over yourself and get back to work, I've got big plans for you." God didn't do that though. He calmly whispered to Elijah and gently set him straight. I need that whisper now. To be reminded that all of the chaos that I am in the midst of will not provide the truth of the message that I need to hear, but the gentle, caring voice of God is present-- I must choose to listen.

This is my start. Again. And I will probably start again, again. But for today, I've changed the blog. Our church now has its own, and my official voice as its minister will be found there from now on.  I've deleted previous posts from this site that relate explicitly to my ministry there and renamed the blog "A Pot of Stew."  From here I hope to continue to share my journey of keeping focused on the big picture while living in the small one. Grace and peace to us all.