that love thing

Funny thing, how there truly is nothing new under the sun. People are the same. They grow, and learn, and mature...and they get tired. :)

I heard that a time or two when I was in my 20's, then again in my 30's. And you know what? I didn't believe it. I didn't believe that I'd be all that much more mature than I already was (ha!), and I certainly didn't believe that I'd get tired. I definitely wouldn't have thought that in some ways the tiredness would be a gift, because when you're tired, you only have time for the things that truly matter. Who's right and who's wrong don't matter so much anymore. 

Love.

That still matters. In fact, it actually matters more to you, because you see how precious it really is.

But, that being right about all the little details stuff....

notsomuch.

We moved our family to Kansas City almost 2 1/2 years ago. We moved because of a vision. We moved because we wanted to build His church, to serve, to help, and yes, because we wanted to love. We believed (and still believe) that God was leading us. We wanted to do His will! So, we moved.

And God moved, too...He moved  in peoples' hearts. He moved in the church. He moved throughout our neighborhood in people like Riley and Lunchbox, who are homeless and precious and made in the image of God. 

And then two years into it, for very good reasons, He moved our pastor and his family out of Kansas City and back to Colorado.

And we were saddened and shocked and a little bit lost.

We've spent the past seven months seeking the Lord, helping people get settled in other local churches, and asking Him for more of His heart.

I'd like to say that it's been easy, and we have another clear assignment from the Lord...here, there, or anywhere! But, that wouldn't be true.

The fact is, we're feeling on the weary side, and He's only revealed a couple of things to us.

1) That we're to spend this next season, focusing on our teenage kids.

2) And then, that love thing...to love Him, love our family, love the people around us.

It doesn't seem like much, but, in some ways, isn't it everything???

To love in the midst of sadness, tiredness and disappointment. To seek Him in the midst of our confusion. It's truly what we're made for...glorifying God in the good and in the hard. Glorifying Him in all the zealousness of youth, and continuing to glorify Him in the greater wisdom and tiredness of our 40's. I'm so grateful that our God is faithful through it all. In every single moment, He has continued to pour out His love on us, and I hope that I can say, that, as I've grown older, I have continued to love Him back.

It may not look like we expected, but in other ways, it looks exactly like we expected.

Loving Him and being loved by Him.

It's good stuff, friends.