Nine Years Ago Today

It was September 28th of 2003.  I was 25 years old.  I had been married for two years.  My wife and I had just found out that we were expecting our first child.  And my church family voted to make me their Pastor.  God is sovereign and accomplishes his will despite us and our opinions, but knowing what I know now, I would have never counseled myself to accept the position, because in my opinion (as Paul says, "I'm speaking foolishly as a man") I was not ready for the task.  

I was young, immature, and ignorant of all that Scripture required of me, but I held on to the promise that my Dad used to quote often, "God doesn't call the equipped, but He equips the called."  I'm pretty sure that was an original quote from the late Adrian Rodgers. 

Over the past nine years I have made many mistakes: person ones (I won't make this a confessional), in my family (often placing them second, third, or worse on my priority list), and in the church.  As I look back I note people I was called to Shepherd that I hurt because of my pride and ignorance.  I note people who whether intentionally or unintentionally hurt me with their words, or by walking away.  I have felt burdens for people, so strong that I couldn't sleep at night.  I have said goodbye to dear friends who left our little church to go, all across the globe, plant or lead their own ministry.  I have officiated funeral services for some of the most Godly widow ladies you could have ever met.  I have grown in the grace and knowledge of Christ passage after passage, right along with the congregation.  I have experienced joy so deep and full that words fail to describe it.  I have learned that God's word is indeed sufficient, not because a professor told me it was, but because I have watched it's truths change peoples lives - mine included. 

There is no good way to sum up nine years of ministry at Meadowview, there are so many faces, so many mistakes, so many memories, days of pain and days of joy.  But the one constant for the past 3,285 days (Sorry, I didn't figure for leap year) has been Christ - after all it is His church, not mine.  I am so thankful that in all the relationships, decisions, and circumstances that make up the past 9 years God has been gracious and faithful to accomplish His good purposes in our lives (Romans 8:28).  And to be honest I'm more than a little excited to see what He does with the next nine years. 

Praise be to Him!