Emotional Overload

Name an emotion. Go ahead, pick one. Got it in your head?

Chances are I'm feeling it right now.

After the roller coaster my life has been the past few months, the announcement this past weekend at FBC that I am stepping down to accept a call from another church turned loose a tidal wave of emotions. As people came to congratulate me, chastise me, ask me why or tell me what for, I felt all of the weight of their emotions as well as my own.

I'm a mixed up mess of emotions - excitement and concern, joy and pain, heartache and anticipation, happy and sad. As much as pastors are looked at as a 'different breed of cat,' we're just human beings with human emotions. As much as I hate to feel all these competing ways, it's all I can do. That and pray. So I pray.

Turns out it's hard to leave a place that you love, and it's hard to disappoint so many people all at once, even if it's a right and obedient thing you're doing.

Much appreciation to all who have called, written or told me about how excited they are for us, and for all who have been and continue to pray for us:

• Much appreciation for my FBC family and the ways you are supporting and encouraging us while dealing with your own uncertainty and fears. I know that God has a plan for FBC, and He's going to bring you to a new and glorious future.
• Much appreciation for my LifePoint family and the way you have aggressively prayed for both my immediate family and for my FBC family. God will honor your faithfulness in prayer.

It's my hope that as we celebrate and grieve together that we can all find some grace to share with each other, and some of God's love to cover. Meantime, please continue to pray that I finish well what God has for me here, and that I take up what He has for me at LifePoint with integrity and grace.