A New Beginning

For most of my life I have not been accustomed to spending much time in reflection but that is something I have been working hard to correct this past year.  The past two days I have logged a lot of hours in the car and that has given me some uninterrupted think time that has allowed me to process some of the new beginnings I am experiencing.

I have identified three new beginnings that are each having a profound impact on my life. The order in which I share them is a bit random and not intended in any way to reflect a greater or lesser importance with their individual placement. The first has to do with new relationships, the second with a new role in my life and the third centers around entering a new day with the church.

The new relationships I am enjoying are a direct result of my involvement in the small groups our church is making available. This journey began for me when our staff agreed to work through the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality material together.  We knew that we could not ask our people to do anything that we were not willing to do as well.  Over the course of several months we  honestly shared with one another  many of the significant life experiences that had marked our  lives in both positive and negative ways.  The time we invested in getting to know one another below the surface paid incredible dividends. Because we were willing to risk enough to share deeply from our life experiences we were able to build a much deeper trust level than we had previously shared.  This was a very healing experience for me personally because I have lived most of my adult life emotionally withdrawn from people.  I felt justified in my decision to let very few people into my life because of some pretty deep wounds I had suffered very early in ministry.  I have also been blessed to be a part of a couple of other small groups made up of  laypersons from our church family.  These groups have enriched my life in some pretty amazing ways as well.  I am a big advocate of small groups because they can be so life changing and can add so much value in so many ways. If you are not already in a group today I want to encourage you to join one.

The second new beginning I am enjoying is a new role that I am absolutely thrilled to fill. I became a grandparent on March 29th when Gray Daniel  Harrison made his entrance into our family and my heart. I had been praying for his safe arrival for months but I was blown away when he finally came – all twelve pounds and one ounce of him. When our daughter-in-law Stacy began experiencing a number of health problems late in her pregnancy I prayed even more that both her and the little one she carried would be safe.  God certainly kept his hand on both Stacy and Gray through ten hours of labor and the eventual c-section that was necessary.  I don’t know much about being a grandparent yet but I have learned that living fourteen hours away is a really tough thing to deal with.  Gray is six weeks old today and he is growing like a weed. He now weighs nearly sixteen pounds and is twenty-five inches long.  When I think about how quickly he is growing I struggle with the thought that I am missing out on all the little things that are a part of his growth and development each day.  I struggle even more when I think about how difficult it will be to be a significant part of his life in the years to come.  I am not the first person to be in this position and I will not be the last but that is not giving me much comfort today.  If you have some helpful insights about how to best cope with this reality let me know.

The final new beginning has to do with a new day in the church.  Following more than twenty years of consistent growth our church entered a season of stagnation that has been tough to accept.  This has been a painful experience that has driven us to our knees and brought us to a whole new level of dependence on him.  God is helping us now to experience a new season of growth in his grace, love and healing.  We are learning to pray, worship, serve and love in a way that has a depth and freshness that we are all excited to be a part of.  God is working daily to continue shaping us into a prevailing church that experiences the coming of his kingdom.  I am excited about the new day the Lord is leading us into. The future is bright because of all that God is planning to do in and through us.

Where is God helping you to experience a new beginning? I would love to hear about some of the God activity in your life if you could take a moment to share it.