A couple weeks ago I shared a bit of our story with an assembly of prayer leaders and ministers, as we met to strategize and prepare for a prayer gathering that will be held in August at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA.
I told them how the Lord led Carol and me to Harrisburg in 2004, to start a ministry that would rebuild, restore and renew hearts and homes. Along the way we have had many battles and yet, we have met many other leaders in this community, most who also seemed to be very down and disappointed about how their lives and ministries have progressed through the years. Mostly it was the lack of progression that had so many of them so discouraged.
In our ten-year journey in Harrisburg, there have been several pastoral prayer gatherings that seemed to get started with great fire and then fizzled out. Then there have been large prayer gatherings of Believers that seemed to spark some movement, but that faded out, too. There have been various pastors and leaders experiencing personal battles and ministry failures. Each time something has been launched in this region, it seemed to fade out over time.
I told the group how God has been connecting us to certain people and specific leaders over the past ten years. All of those connections, in spite our disappointment, still led to me sitting at that table, that night, at that moment. It all still led to this opportunity to become part of the preparation of this upcoming national prayer gathering.
I told them we must all stop looking back at the disappointments because all of those disappointments are merely the result of things not turning out the way WE expected. But what if things were actually going according to God’s plan?
I asked everyone, ‘What if God was accomplishing, all along, what HE had in mind?’ Maybe the other prayer gatherings and special meetings were simply God’s way of connecting the right people to someday come together at just the right time, in the right place, to pray for our nation.
I watched the Holy Spirit bring a lot of people encouragement through that revelation. That night everyone got on board with this new initiative of prayer.
I share this story with you today because the same thing applies for our little church family.
Somehow, your journey to various churches and ministries still led you to wherever you might be today. Your winding path has led you to the precious brothers and sisters that you have now come into fellowship with and you now share in Holy Communion and divine intercession. Now you can know for sure that you are not alone in the journey. There really are others who are seeking God just like you. There really are others who want to praise and worship God, just like you. There really are others who love God and want to live for Him, just like you.
From our perspective, as ministry leaders, we were praying and asking God for a congregation that wanted to serve Him with all their hearts, the same way WE wanted to serve God with all our hearts. Eventually the paths finally crossed and look where we all are today. The journey for each one of us has led us to this open door to sit at the same table with the Lord and to dine together, with Him.
Now we must stop allowing the disappointment of the past to hinder us from embracing this moment of destiny that has been set before us.
Our nation, state, city, neighborhoods and families are in crisis and WE have the solution. We have the answer. God has given us a testimony. He has given us gifts and abilities. He has given us technology. He has given us a strategy. And we’re going to take what God has placed in our hands and go forth to make a difference in our world.
Think about this blog as you go to your church, assembly or home group next week, to continue to learn more about our God and how He wants to use all of us to change the world.
