RETAIN, RELEASE, REMEMBER!
Good morning ONE Church Lancs and warmest greetings from a very snowy Lurgan in Northern Ireland.
Since moving to Lurgan in August 2022 (I find it hard to believe it has been almost six months), I have been spending some quiet time in intentional reflection on how truly I have been blessed since giving my life to the Lord on 27 th August 2006 in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
As I began my journey I didn’t understand that it was a life-long journey of becoming conformed to the image of Christ (the process of sanctification). This is something I learnt along the way as the Lord took me from Kentucky to Massachusetts, then after 9 years and 3 moves within this state, on to Indiana, Oswaldtwistle and now Lurgan.
Each new location/new church has obviously brought its challenges and also huge blessings. One of the hardest parts (aside from the actual move itself) has been leaving friends behind. The sense of familiarity and comfort that we have with our surroundings; being “part of the furniture” so to speak. Wondering how do we do church when it looks completely different and you don’t know a soul. We lean in and trust God!!!
None of our journeys look the same; but He blesses and equips us wherever He wants us to serve. How many of us have tried to hang on for dear life to what God is calling us to leave behind or get in God’s face waving our little fists, declaring that we can’t possibly make the change He is calling us to? How many of us have responded with resistance and rebellion when in fact we should respond as Abraham did? With faith, submission, and obedience. This was my awful attitude when the Lord called me from America back home to England because “I” didn’t want to leave. It took 6 months for me to accept that it was not about me and that God had an amazing plan in this new season, as He always does. With this latest move, I once asked myself “why is God asking me to move again?” – well first of all I reminded myself it was not about me; that God wanted me to be obedient and to step out in faith and trust. God knows our future, we don’t (thank the Lord) and oftentimes what He is asking us to do seems absolutely impossible and outside the norm, He may have to remove us from our comfort zone in order for us to grow. He is also asking us to be His hands and feet wherever the journey takes us.
I now realise I am in an “unhurried season” with God. God does have to keep reminding me to “stop running”. I am just TO BE. Those of you that know me well, will know that this concept is totally alien to me but God is so patient and understanding – He knows me well and knows that I lack patience but He is asking me to commit to “unhurried time” with Him; to dig in. Also different is the fact that God is not opening doors for me to step through; he is opening doors for other people to step through into my life. It is incredible. I could go on about how I have seen God at work in this past 5 months but I would end up writing a book!!!!
Proverbs 16:3
“commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans”.
Last Sunday Pastor Phil at my church was talking about Reflection and posed 3 questions for us to ponder and pray over as we move forward into this 2023 season:
What needs to be retained
What needs to be released
What needs to be remembered
It is also important to remind ourselves in whatever season God leads us into:
Isaiah 43:18-19
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
I am truly excited about the continued work God will do in all our lives in this coming year.
Be blessed and be a blessing
by Bernadette Groves-Wright 18th Jan 2023
