Struggles

For a while now, we have been struggling with the decision to leave our church of 12 years in order to join another one. CLBC has been a wonderful church to us and has been a huge part of our lives for the past 12 years. Brian and I have only been married for 14.5 years and we joined when Joseph was just a baby. CLBC is a member of the family, a great grandparent that helped raise our babies to become the strong children and preteens that they are now, a great shoulder to lean on when times were tough, and a wonderful fellowship when friends were greatly needed. It is my prayer that God will truely bless CLBC and lead the congregation on to do a great work in our community.

Brian surprised me on Mother's Day at WAC (the new church) with roses and a plan to have us go down as a family to join this new church. I was completely surprised! I mean completely and totally surprised! I knew that this was something that we were going to do, but I had no idea that Brian would make his decision so soon. I still have not recovered from the shock.

A new journey has begun for us. The boys are so happy at WAC, and that was the deciding factor in our choice to join. Our previous church just did not have the resources to continue to minister to our children through their teen years. We have also been met with a lot of hostility and hurt feelings from our former church family, and even though I expected it, I was not prepared for it.

I have compared our leaving of CLBC to a divorce. Never having been through a divorce, I can only imagine that this is what it would feel like. My heart was hurt and my spirit was broken, and it took a long time of not attending ANYWHERE at all to finally listen to the quiet voice of God telling me that it was time to find a new place to heal. Making the decision to leave was one of the hardest things that Brian and I have ever done together. I would compare it to what it would feel like to walk up to a dear family member, like a mom or dad, and tell them that I loved them, but I could no longer be a part of their family and that we would never be able to enjoy each other's company ever again. It is an indescribable sadness, and yet at the same time such an incredible excitement to see what God has in store for us in this new journey.

It has been a long time coming, and I am ready and willing to let God do an amazing work in and through my family.