Sunday, October 02, 2005

Well.

Our little social and religious experiment in Alabama is over.

I don't really have the distance needed for reflection yet. All day today I have been thinking of Jesus' warnings about the cost of following Him. Any delusions I have that this will be fun, or profitable, or easy, are self-imposed. Jesus never said anything like that. Even though tonight I feel like I've followed Christ off a cliff, I also have to remember that God never promised me otherwise.

Damn.

I am tempted to second-guess our decisions a year ago, but this year has been too good to do that. Most of what we've learned is too personal to be discussed in a public domain, but this much I'll say: when we left Nashville, my friend Halle predicted that the next year would be similar to the Year of Jubilee in the Old Testament. It was the year that no crops were planted, but the soil was replenished for the next season. She was right; this year was for us. It was a year of restoration, and I'm thankful for it. But externally, this year has been a disaster ... and I'm thankful to see that part end, too. So mostly, I guess, I'm thankful. I'm glad I've had this time, and I'm glad to see it go.

The next logical question is, now what? I have no idea. I hate staring into the abyss; I don't like having this many options (or none at all, depending on your perspective). Right now, we're just doing what comes next. And we're learning to trust God. At this point, that's all we can do.

4 comments:

Stephanie said...

hey mary, thanks for the encouragement. seriously.

heather - look for a couple and a dog on a doorstep near you sometime this fall.

Liz said...

Can I have a couple and a dog on my doorstep too? I have the means to entertain a dog for sure, and a couple quite possibly. =)

Ciona said...

If a couple and dog would like to journey back to Nashville, I bet the city wouldn't complain at all. It'd be good to see you again! I feel like all of you guys snuck away while I was sleeping. :(

Be in touch! cionar@yahoo.com

Ciona said...

btw . . .

1 Cor. 15:58 . . . I spoke this past weekend about this text, and I believe it holds so many truths in the midst of transition. It helps us ask great questions: what does it mean to be steadfast? What is the work of the Lord? How do we give fully to it? And it helps us be encouraged by the promise that the Lord's work is never in vain.

So I'm excited that you're feeling your frustration instead of ignoring it. And I hope that you'll be encouraged in the midst of more transition.