Yesterday began a new era in our family. My family was brought up in a small wood frame church where the pastor served fifty years prior to his death. My parents would wake us up, ensure we had breakfast, get us dressed then march us down the street to church.
We attended Sunday School, then walked in to the sanctuary for Worship or as we called it..."the sermon." Many of you may remember Sunday night church or Training Union, we were there every Sunday night too. No complaining, no argument, it was a way of life for us and many of our neighbors. Our boys were Royal Ambassadors and us girls were Girls In Action (G A's).
We loved our pastor who quickly became a family friend. His wife having a passion for children operated a preeschool which most of us attended.
My father first walked into that church when he was 33 years old. Today, he is 80. He has served as a deacon for over 40 years and as church treasure for at least that long. He has a passion for the Word of God and teaches a Bible Study class in Spanish. He has often filled the puplit and has been my spiritual mentor.
That is the only church he has ever known. His children are now all adults, parents or grandparents and serve in their own way.
Every year, the church Christmas program always drew us back as a family. All of us supporting the church that we are products of. As tradition would have it, after every Christmas program, they would hand out "goodie" bags. My family often sat and filled a hundred bags with fruit, candy and other goodies, another tradition.
Each Sunday we meet at my sister's house for lunch after church. One Sunday a couple of weeks ago, an unexpected announcement changed everything for us.
My father prepared us for what was to come....like Abraham, God was calling him to leave his country. Not literally, but obediently. Dad was leaving the church that had been our family church for years. It was not our place to ask why after so many years. Although four of the five of us no longer served there, we still remember it as our little church.
Yesterday, I longed to be with my father, to stand alongside him as my sisters did when he delivered the news but that was not to be. God had called me to a different mission, God called me to do what my father taught me to do, teach the Word of God and pray, take a back seat.
So as my father "leaves his country" to follow God's new direction my heart is heavy because this is his church, our church but bigger than that....this is OUR God and that is who we serve. The reward is in obedience. God may be calling you to leave your job, a relationship, a vice or a bad situation. The time has come to act as you seek to walk in obedience, despite how it may feel.....will you "leave your country?"
The Lord had said to Abraham "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to where I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and those who curse you, I will curse and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:1-3
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