I appreciate your prayers for my baby Hannah & the family. We leave tomorrow after church for surgery on Monday. Thank for for continuing to pray.
Wednesday, one of the families in the church decided to make a "power play." (I don't have time to go into it, but I'm sure you know what I mean.) Anyway, my husband & I are stressing to no end ... especially my husband. And of all the times to do it ... when we need support the most. And we're going to be out of town for the surgery, & that concerns me, too.
So, please pray. Deanna, I was thinking this morning that I'm going to be more thankful for the times when only one area of my life is stressed i.e. church or home. When its both, well, its almost more than I can handle. But I know HIS grace is sufficient.
Thank you all.
Will let you know about surgery when we get back, hopefully Wednesday or Thursday.
Ladies reading this.....let's really lift her up. Trace may not be able to check the message board before she leaves and we probably will not hear from her til' she gets back. We all know what this is like. No, not the surgery part, but the part where we get attacked during a very crucial time in our family's life and it's overwhelming.
This is one of those very difficult things in ministry. I know even when it comes to simple things like going on vacation or going out of town even for ministry business, it seems the devil kicks something up and you're afraid to leave town. What a lie of the enemy.
We had someone in our previous church who would not tell us the circumstances but when we'd get ready to go away she'd say, "Well, there's some things I need to talk to you about but I'll wait til' you get back." One time she said, there was a "stirring" in the church, but she'd wait til' our return to discuss it. At the time we were dumb enough to just worry that thing to death. Upon our return she told us the "stirring." There was no stirring. Her sister in law was just not happy. I thought to myself then and there, "if you think I'm going to worry my whole time away again about somebody's sister in law who is not happy, you're crazy." I never did again. I thought, "let the whole world fall apart while I'm gone for all I care." There just comes a point you have to determine not to let it get you.
Here we don't really have that kind of thing and it's a miracle. But we are so blessed to just pastor a different type people here. But sometimes dh has been worried when we've left town with other things on his mind like church finances, or other administrative issues. Or, with the high level of people tranferring both in/out of Tampa, he has worried about certain families getting job transfers. Sometimes he has brooded over that on our time away and finally one time he just said to himself, "what am I changing by worry about this?" Nothing. It was out of his control. So he just said, "come what may I'm not going to worry." He has really changed in that regard and now our time away is a lot better.
Trace, if you do happen by some chance to read this before you leave, please take this advice from me. Concentrate 100% on your baby and the surgery and do not give this family a moment's thought. It will be there for you upon your return the same whether you worry or not. Just give it to the Lord. Your priority to concentrate on today is Hannah. If that family doesn't understand that, you are better off without them.
Trace - One thing that I am beginning to learn regarding church politics is that, unfortunately, they will ALWAYS be there. DH and I are still having some issues with the person who originally motivated me to seek out an online community like this one . But remember, God has placed you where you are for a reason, and He does have a plan for you and for this family in your church. And yes, of course the devil is kicking you while you're down. Take comfort in this (I remind myself of it daily!!): If the devil's not bugging you, you're not doing your job!
Jesus, I ask for Your protection over Trace and her family, especially over Hannah as she has her surgery! I ask that you would silence those in the church who would speak against them, and send some encouragement their way as well. You are awesome and mighty, and we believe that you have big plans for Trace and her family and their ministry!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers. We made it home from the hospital this afternoon. Hannah is doing great considering all that she has gone through. She's now eating pretty well. Looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight.
Please continue to pray for us & the church. We have discovered that this family has waged an all out war against us for the last couple of weeks (at least) behind our backs & last week to our face, even Sunday before we had to go to the hospital. Because of the intense situation (literally all out war), my husband had to be on the phone w/ sectional & district officials, even during Hannah's surgery. We have a clear conscience. We've done nothing wrong (just didn't do things the way they wanted to do them). Church officials are totally supportive of us, but it is still difficult.
Our presbyter keeps telling dh "not to take it personally." But that is extremely hard for me, especially since we all agree they purposefully launched their attack right before surgery. Dh keeps saying "forgive them because they do not know what they are doing." Forgive. Yes. I still don't buy that they don't know what they are doing. But I do know that our war is not against flesh & blood but against the evil principalities.
Once again, thank you for all of your prayers for Hannah & for ME to have peace. The waiting was difficult, but I knew that prayers were going up for her across the country. Thank you so much. You all are truly a blessing.
Trace, I feel your pain! Don't you just wish people like that would just go away and find some other church to torment?
I said that to my DH the other day about our "problem person," and he said, "Well, I would wish that they would get right with God and straighten out - I wouldn't want to wish them on some other poor pastoral staff!"
To which I (the pastor in the family ) responded, "Uh, yeah...but maybe this other church has what they need spiritually and they can get right with God there..."
Hang in there, and remember we're all here for you!!
. But remember, God has placed you where you are for a reason, and He does have a plan for you and for this family in your church. And yes, of course the devil is kicking you while you're down. Take comfort in this (I remind myself of it daily!!): If the devil's not bugging you, you're not doing your job!
