We Arrived, Safely
What a week we had last week. A week of firsts and a week of lasts. That week ended an era for me. I can’t speak for Judy, but I think she felt the same. Relationships that grew over years, in some cases 10s decades, were brought to a point of inevitable change. Change is difficult. It was a week, in a sense, of loss. In that closing of a chapter, there was also a hint of new life for Judy and me with our friends in Houston. How will that play out, God? I am excited to find out. It was also a week of anticipation. A wonderful life was ending and a new life was opening up, including new life with our friends in Houston.
The last time I experienced these emotions was when I loaded up my 1970 International Scout, left the house I grew up in on Long Island, and drove into the complete unknown – Houston, Texas. That was a crazy trip. It was the summer of 1972. The South still had a bad image in the mind of a 22-year old boy from the North. I spent one of the nights on that trip in a small, old motel in the industrial part of Birmingham, Alabama with a view of the steel mills spitting fire into the night. Was it my imagination? I had a sense of spiritual oppression, even though I knew nothing of spiritual things. It didn’t help when, on that afternoon in August, I drove on the west Loop for the first time, past the relatively new Galleria, and saw a billboard for KIKK. Yikes I thought, they even advertise for the KKK on billboards.
Of course, I was wrong about the billboard. KIKK was a country western radio station. Looking back on my fear of the unknown, if I could somehow have seen the life God has prepared for me I would have been be astonished, amazed, grateful, and probably completely shocked. It was a life of blessing and richness beyond anything I had ever experienced – the Kingdom of God (but not without suffering). It would have been unfathomable for me at that time in my life.
Sunday morning, May 31, 2015 I made another fateful drive, but this time not alone and not into the unknown. Judy and I left Houston at 0840 to drive to North Carolina to begin this new era. There will be lots of challenges for me. I will learn a new level of humility and how to lean on Jesus in a new way. But God will use both of us here in NC, and so will give us new power and authority to accomplish His purposes. The Kingdom of God is here also.
On Friday evening May 29 Dennis Sempebwa ministered at Joey’s church and on Saturday morning he ministered at my church. During that morning it occurred to me that this will be my last church function at FPC. It was entirely fitting that I should ‘go out’ in an event in which the Power of God washed over all who attended. I left Long Island 43 years ago to accomplish my goals, to begin my life, with no comprehension of the God I would come to know and love. I left Houston this week to serve Jesus, to say “here I am, use me to accomplish Your goals”, to live my life for Him. I left Long Island alone and poor; I left Houston carrying the good wishes of all my dear friends, in the company of Judy, and rich beyond my wildest dreams. We safely arrived at the house of my daughter, son-in-law, and 4 grandchildren on June 1. The new era has begun. “You don’t need to show me Lord, I know it will be amazing”. Hallelujah!!