A few weeks ago on a Thursday night I sat in the sanctuary of our church, alone, replaying many holy moments I’ve experienced there.
I cried tears of both gratitude and sadness at leaving.
I prayed, and wrote a note to the leaders who will have the privilege of serving here next.
I took my note up to John’s office where he was finishing up final paper work and we put our notes together with a baton on his desk. We prayed with thanksgiving for our time, and asked for wisdom, grace, and perseverance for the leader who will pick up the baton and run the next leg of this race with CPC.
And then we closed the door one last time.
We moved through the church to different places that were meaningful to us, praying in each for God’s continuing work.
We prayed in the spot where we had first brought our blond curly-headed tinies into church, and in the room where I’ve joyfully walked alongside young couples on their faith journey.
We remembered the places where we saw reconciliation happen between broken people, and laughed again about the llama that went into labor in the gym, and the time we had someone ride a motorcycle down the aisle for a children’s sermon.
We ended up back in the sanctuary and looked at where our friend served communion one last time as he was dying, and where our daughters were baptized, and where one walked down the aisle to be married. It’s where people far from God came to know of His crazy love for them and it’s where a creative staff person shot off fireworks to recreate Acts 2.
We were overwhelmed thinking of God’s great protection and guidance for us and our family, and before we left, we stood one last time facing the cross and sang Great is Thy Faithfulness.
It was holy. And yes, I cried the entire time.
Totally by God’s grace, we have finished this leg of the race. If you’re running a tough leg of your marathon, know that He sees you. He’s with you, and you’re being cheered for.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2
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