Trusting God's Perfect Timing

    As we closed the first month of this year and stepped into February, our collective spirit has been in a place of reflection and anticipation. It's like we're collectively pausing, taking a deep breath before we dive into the rest of 2024. We're asking, "Lord, what do you have in store for us this year? How do you want to shape, use, and mold us?"

    This journey of pausing and seeking isn't just about slowing our pace but about redirecting our focus entirely away from ourselves and toward God. It's about acknowledging that, while we may have plans, God's timing and His plans are what truly matter. It's a lesson in humility and trust, one that we're learning together as a church family.

    I've been thinking a lot about our church. We're not a large congregation, but the size isn't the point. There have been moments of impatience and frustration, wishing we could reach more people, and see more lives transformed. But I'm reminded that success isn't just in numbers but in the depth of our faith and the sincerity of our community. It's in the moments of genuine connection, in the times we see God working in the everyday aspects of our lives, even outside the church walls.

    I've been reminded recently that church isn't just about what happens on Sunday. It's about being in the church daily, living out our faith in real, tangible ways. This was brought home to me vividly through a hiking trip some of us took to Preacher's Rock. It wasn't just a hike; it was a moment of communion with God's creation, a time of fellowship, and a reminder of the majesty and glory of our Creator. It was church outside the church walls.

    Our conversations, our gatherings, whether in living rooms, on hiking trails, or around dinner tables, are filled with discussions about faith, about Jesus, and about how we live out this Gospel we hold so dear. It's in these moments that the church truly becomes the church—not in a building, but in the community and the connections we share.

    This perspective shift—from seeing the church as a place we go to seeing it as a community we are part of every day—has been both challenging and beautiful. It's about seeing the work God is doing in and through us, often in ways we might not expect. From apologetics classes to spontaneous discussions about faith over dinner, from supporting each other in practical ways to stepping out in faith on foreign mission trips, it's clear God is at work here.

    As we navigate this journey, we're reminded that God's timing is perfect, even when it doesn't align with our expectations or desires. His plans for us, for our church, are unfolding in His time, not ours. This realization is both a challenge and a comfort. It's a call to trust more deeply in Him, to submit our plans and our timelines to His will and His guidance.

    So, as we move forward, let's keep turning our eyes to Him, trusting in His timing, and celebrating what He's doing in and through our community. Let's be the church, not just on Sundays but every day, in every interaction, and in every opportunity He gives us to show His love to the world around us.

    Thanks for walking this journey with me. Let's keep leaning into what God has for us, trusting His timing is always perfect, and His ways are always good.