One of my least favorite things about moving to a new town is church "shopping." Especially since I had was leaving a church that had been such a blessing to me and my family, Yorktown Baptist. I had made great friends and watched my children grow exponentially in God's Word through AWANA. So Zach and I began the search and seemed to find every extreme, but not quite what we were looking for, except for one church.
This particular church was the first one we tried, but my Lutheran husband was hesitant because Baptist was in it's name, :). We tried a Methodist church, it was a United Methodist church gone rogue! Then we tried a Lutheran church and there weren't many under AARP age. So, Zach and I agreed that maybe this Baptist church should get another look. I was excited because this particular church had a a string of "signs" (for lack of a better word) that led us there.
1. A dear friend of mine from high school, Rachel, whom I have not had a close relationship with since I was married and a mother by 19, lived in Abilene, so I reached out to her so I would have a friend in my new hometown. She told me about her church and I was eager to try it on her recommendation.
2. After I left BAF I began going to Yorktown and was plugged in, and through that church God grew me during a tough year away from Zach. During my last Sunday School class before I left for Abilene, another couple said I must try a particular church with a pastor who had a heart for speaking God's truth and not necessarily speaking popular messages and filling seats. He had also been their college pastor. This church in Abilene was the church Rachel called her church home.
3. A friend from Yorktown, had made friends with an Air Force wife who had gone to Yorktown while in training at NAS-CC. Leah had e-mailed her friend telling her I was coming to Abilene and would she pray for a swift and easy transition because of our turbulent year. She had been praying, when Rachel asked her bible study group to pray for us, turns out Leah's friend was a part of Rachel's bible study, so I had another connection to this church.
Zach and I visited the church earlier in the summer, but the pastor was on vacation so the college pastor was guest speaking. It was not as traditional as Zach is used to, but he was willing to try it again once the pastor was back and make his final decision.
Well, we went back this Sunday, and all of the eggs for this church were in this sermon basket. Without knowledge to us, the pastor spoke a message directed by God, to us, to our hearts, to our life. It was on the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, and he spoke on the command for forgiveness. I cannot tell you the last time I felt God speaking so directly to my heart. Zach and I have found ourselves in a place of bitterness and resentment towards the kids' dad, unwilling to offer forgiveness (even if he hasn't asked for it). The truth this pastor spoke was amazing. Before we left the sanctuary, Zach affirmed what I knew, we had found our church home.
We are excited to start finding ways to get connected and minster through this church, especially starting with AWANA again this fall with the kids. A number of guys in our Sunday School group also work in Zach's squadron, so it will be a great group we will be getting to know!
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