In
recent weeks, I’ve learned that I am not too old to go in a new direction. Senior adults—me included—are notorious for
not wanting to change their living conditions, schedules, habits, or
affiliations with friends and groups. We
enjoy the routine and similarity of each day and don’t want to be jarred out of
our comfort zones.
After
23 years of love and loyalty to our church, Charles and I are being led to find
a new one. It started in January of this year when we realized the distance and
traffic on our route to church had become more of an issue than ever
before. The still, small voice of God
spoke to my heart and said we needed to find a church closer to home. I didn’t tell Charles about my feelings at
the time, because I knew we didn’t want to leave our close-knit group of friends
with whom we study the Bible, worship, and share life.
Charles
is still a top-notch day and night driver in all weather conditions. He can
navigate the interstates with the best of them and I can ride with him
anywhere. Not so for me. My night driving skills have changed, and I
avoid heavy traffic on the interstates at all costs. When it’s raining, my driving skills really
deteriorate. We had already changed
doctors and dentists and other providers in order to stay within a less than
five-mile radius of home.
Recent
developments in our church and issues that no one saw coming six months ago
have confirmed that my earlier thoughts and urgings were preparing me for the
inevitable. Theological differences with our pastor and staff helped us
realize, it is time to move on. We are
not too old to go in a different direction after all.
Our
friends will still be friends. It will
just take more effort to see them and communicate with them. We have no idea at
this point where we will find the right church for us. But God knows where he wants us to worship
and serve. He will lead us in the future
just as he has in the past.
The
Bible verse from Jeremiah 29:11 will be my anchor for the next several months.
“For
I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not
to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
