I was on staff at a church and working in a Hospice in California in 1993 when we pulled up stakes and moved to Idaho. California was taking a long time coming out of her current building recession and Bob was having a difficult time finding work and getting paid for the work he did find. He heard Idaho was booming at the time, it was the home state of our pastor, so off he went to check it out. In a matter of days, I was told we were moving to Idaho.
There was a gentleman in the church who came up to me and told me I should not go; it would leave a large hole in the church that could not be filled. I told him that he was wrong, that it would be like throwing a rock into a quiet pond. There will be some initial ripples, but soon the ripples disappear, and the pond becomes still again.
I doubt very much if you went back to that church today you would find more than just a small handful of people who even remember me, and the hospice I worked at would be the same. People, organizations, even churches move on.
All that came flooding back to memory the other morning when I opened my daily verse. “For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you showed for His name when you served the saints—and you continue to serve them.” [Hebrews 6:10 HCSB]
That verse touched my heart deeply because I am facing another leaving. This time I am leaving “The Way” in Middleton, Idaho, at year’s end. This leaving is different in that I am not “going anywhere else.” I am not moving to another town, or another state or another ministry. I am moving to another time in life, exiting active ministry.
I pray I have provided the people of “The Way” with a strong scriptural foundation. I pray that even if they forget me, they will not forget the LORD who means everything to me.
I rest assured that even though people, organizations and churches move on, God has promised that He will not forget our love and our service. He will not forget anything we have done for Him! What a joyous promise! Amen.
