Breakfast at Tiffany’s: An old picture and an old promise

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

Last Sunday, Crane Christian Church officially welcomed Aaron and I as their new pastors. Had you told us six months ago that we would be returning to my hometown of Crane, Missouri, to be pastors of the first church ever established in that little town, we probably wouldn't have believed it. You see, though Aaron and I have felt called to ministry since we were young and experienced some amazing seasons doing just that, the past 10-15 years have brought us many hiccups and hangups, disappointments and derailments. Never losing that heart-fire for ministry, seasons of rejection made us feel like the student who keeps raising their hand to volunteer while the teacher overlooks them asking, “Won't anyone raise their hand?” Accustomed to doors slamming shut, we even found ourselves asking God if somewhere along the way He'd changed His mind about our pastoral calling.

It's funny how easily we finite human beings tend to project our own personalities onto the infinite God. We quote the scripture that says to walk by faith and not by sight, but lose all hope when darkness seems to overwhelm us. All the while God is training us, developing us, sharpening us and strengthening us for the next season – if we could simply recognize that and rest in His sovereign plan. I always say I'll make sure I recognize it the next time my journey takes me down unknown, thorny paths. Still, I often forget in the valley what He told me on the mountaintop. Nonetheless, I am so thankful that God's mercies are new every day!

God remains faithful to us even through seasons of confusion and doubt. He doesn't call us because he thinks we are capable of sustaining that calling ourselves. He calls us to prove that despite our endless shortcomings, it is His power alone that will complete the good work he started in us.

Here is a case in point. When the church voted us in, they gave us a copy of their centennial directory that was full of pictures and memories from the church’s start in 1900 up to the year 2000. Though I had never attended church there except for a few days of Vacation Bible School when I was 12, I recognized with fondness so many of the faces and names I saw and read about. They were neighbors, school friends, coworkers, teachers and many others who I had known simply from living in such a small, close-knit community. After I had scoured the entire book, I went back to snap some pictures on my phone to send to some of the friends I had found in there. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the familiar but slightly blurred face of a little girl in the background of one of the pictures. It was me – that one time in the 100-year lifespan of Crane Christian Church from 1900-2000 that my mom had sent us to their VBS.

At that moment, God whispered to my spirit as He does so often. He said, “Through all the years that you wondered if my plan for you was sure, I had already written it into history. When you thought no church would ever need you as a pastor again, I had already planned to send you back to where your story began, to this church who has been praying for someone just like you to arrive.”

God's timing is so perfect. His thoughts are far beyond ours. His plans for us are good. No matter what season of life you may be in right now, remember that if God called you to do something, He has the power to perform it through you at just the right time and place. He has already written it into the annals of time.