~In the summer of 2011, we had plans.
Kelly, my wife, was going to finish her LPN degree in December, and soon after we would be on our way to Kentucky to attend Asbury Theological Seminary. It seemed as if the path was laid out for us. As a pastor of four years, I had felt the need for higher education. Asbury was our plan, but plans quickly change, don’t they?
News. In mid-September, I received a phone call that changed the trajectory of our lives. In the early afternoon, I received a phone call from Kelly’s mom, Mary. Her voice was frantic, full of fear and horror. With a tone that sent sheer terror down my spine, she told me that Patrick died unexpectedly. Patrick was Mary’s husband (Kelly’s dad) and was only 52 years old. Mary then said, “You need to tell Kelly!” Numbness permeated every nerve ending in my body as I started processing this nightmare of information. In the moment, I felt like a helpless child with absolutely no idea of what to do. How could I tell my wife that her dad just died? Furthermore, Kelly was pregnant at the time; would this affect the baby? I remember crying helplessly on my parent’s shoulders as they prayed with me before I left to pick Kelly up.
Devastation. Loss - unrecognizable emotions that neither Kelly nor I can put in to words… Patrick’s death was an earthquake that sent shockwaves hurling towards the family as well as the greater community of Ionia. We spent the next week in Ionia with Mary and the rest of the family. We laughed in celebration of his life, but mostly, we cried as we missed (and continue to miss) him.
Implications. What did this mean for our family? How would Kelly and I respond with a 20 month old and another baby on the way? When it came down to it, we didn’t want to be ten hours away from Mary nor my family. Asbury was out. So if Asbury was no longer a reality, then what? Grand Rapids Theological Seminary (GRTS) was second on my list, and because of Patrick’s death, it was now first.
~In the fall of 2011, we had revised plans.
Aid. Kelly did it. After everything that happened, she continued the completion of a high intensity LPN program and graduated Magna Cum Laude. I still don’t know how she stayed so strong. At the same time, I was approaching my last days as the associate pastor of a church in Bad Axe. We were in a peculiar position. God was leading us toward seminary, but we wouldn’t have any income and Kelly was nearly 9 months pregnant. She couldn’t work, and neither could I with my upcoming semester’s class load. We sent out letters to some our greatest supporters asking for prayers and financial support. Apparently, enough people from both the church and the community of Bad Axe (as well as our families) believed in the mission God put on our hearts because the support we received was nothing short of miraculous. In January, I began seminary at GRTS soon after our second child, Calvin, was born. The prayer, encouragement, and financial support continue to provide for our family as we pursue the calling of full time ministry that God has placed on our lives.
Tension. Finances. Housing. Church. Babies. School. The tension was heating to a boiling point. Something had to break. This wasn’t working! We realized that if we didn’t trust the Lord in this, the stress would literally eat us alive. God wouldn’t call us to follow Jesus in such a radical way to simply abandon us, would he? It felt like we were walking off a cliff…
Needs. Kelly and I sat down to talk and pray about what we needed to do to move forward. I needed to adjust full-time seminary classes to part-time – something that would be more realistic and healthy for our family. Kelly needed to get a job to support our family. I needed to look for a church where I could fulfill my longing to serve in a pastoral capacity. We needed to find a group of Christ-followers that we could do life with. We needed to find (or start looking for) a place to rent. So, we began to specifically pray as we looked for ways to fulfill our family’s needs.
Puzzle. We had connections in Bad Axe that we didn’t have on the west side of Michigan. That was one of the hardest parts. We felt like the different mega-churches we attended didn’t really fit. Sure, they were big and flashy, but an element of community seemed to be missing. We wanted something attractive but deep, personal and communal as well. One Sunday, we attended Impact Church in Lowell, Michigan. Kelly and I were shocked; it was exactly what we had been looking for. I set up a meeting with one of the pastors to talk about his vision and heart for the church community and a possible internship/residency program through school. Come to find out, they just planted a church in Saranac (a town between Ionia and Lowell). One of the pastors invited Kelly and I to come check out that campus and meet with another pastor. Have you ever had that feeling when you just click with people? It was like that. Everything from the way they looked to the way they talked to their heart for people and the kingdom of God was parallel to ours. This is what we had been praying about. We felt like a puzzle was being masterfully fit together. Come to find out, the Saranac Impact Church was averaging 200 people and needed a pastor. Are you kidding me? From there, things started to snowball and conversations started to progress.
~In the spring of 2012, we realized that perhaps God had a bigger plan.
Surrender. We tend to screw things up. It’s been the human story from the beginning of time. When people do their own thing, they have a tendency to mutate into something ugly. Kelly and I are shocked and amused by these recent relationships that are developing. We’re currently in the middle of a transitional process, but we realize that the best thing we can do is surrender. In everything from Kelly’s dad passing away to the decisions we continue to make, the best thing we can do is trust that God can and will orchestrate something far bigger than we can ever know. We want the Lord to use us for his purposes. If that’s in the Saranac community, may God’s will be done.
To Be Continued... This Sunday (4/15/12) I was introduced as the campus pastor at Saranac. This will allow me to pastor and continue seminary at the same time. It’s happening much faster than we ever imagined, but we believe there has been a divine work in bringing us together. Speaking of divine, one of our prayers has been answered. Kelly has been recently employed at a long-term-care facility in Grand Rapids. We’re grateful with the way this transition continues to unfold as we consistently place our trust in the LORD. Our story continues to progress, but God seems to be saturated in the things that are happening.
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