Two weeks ago, Sherri and I shared with some of our favorite people in the world (Church180), that we are preparing to transition out of our role as a civilian pastor and move into a new role… active Army Chaplain (I wrote about it here).
As we prepare to do this, there are a lot of things that run through my mind:
- How will my ladies handle my absence?
- How will they adjust to the new environment(s)?
- Will Church180 be okay?
- How will I deal with sleeping alone? (I’m a cuddler!)
- What do I need to do to leave Church180 on a high note?
- How in the world am I ever going to perform a 30 minute church service in the field?! (I can’t even preach a sermon that short).
- The people at Church180… will I see them again? Which ones?
And that’s just the stuff that comes quickly to mind!
Over the course of 21 years of ministry, we have moved several times. Each time we determined to love and enjoy people right up until the very last second! We made a decision NOT to withdraw in an effort to ease the pain of separation. We determined to lean in, even though we knew it would enhance the sadness when we left.
We believe that seeds of love that are sown are better than seeds of love that are stored. Seeds that are sown will bloom… and bring beauty. Seeds that are stored, though filled with potential, will yield nothing.
As we prepare to transition, our first determination is to love as many and as much as we can… right up until the very end!
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All the best for you my friend. I will be praying for you and your family on this new adventure.
Most chaplains I knew in the military had a designated duty station. That meant that they were officers and their assignments were for a specific time frame. Translation: they had the option of having family with them. The exception would be deploying into a war zone, or an isolated facility. Keep me in the loop. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.
Let the new adventures begin! Prayers and best wishes to you and your family.