Thursday, September 24, 2009

If These Walls Could Talk

It has been quite the week here in the parsonage. One of those weeks where I think to myself...if these walls could talk.

Actually, I think Sunday night those walls were trying to give me a heads-up. I filled the bathtub to take a bath, and that's when the water began seeping though the bathroom floor/kitchen ceiling, raining through the ceiling fan light fixture. We surely aren't the first to get that lovely experience in this parsonage.

Many of the pastors and their families that have ministered here in our church over the past 152 years of its existence have lived within these walls. They likely knew what I am currently learning; that ministering to people is much like parenting your children. They can bring you the greatest joy or the deepest pain. Either way, they drive you to your knees before The One you truly serve, with tears of joy or tears of pain.

For me, there's a sense of comfort within these walls, a sanctuary of sorts. Not only because it's home, but because I know that God sustained those in ministry before us, some through the same trials and joys of life ...and some through much, much tougher ones. He will see us through just the same.

I've learned something about myself this week. There are trials and circumstances in my life that feel like mountains. Huge mountains. I tend to wander around at the base of those mountains...pacing. Viewing them as permanent fixtures, because after all, they're mountains. That view, leads me to pray that God would be with me, sustain me...which is fine...but what if, what if they're not meant to be permanent. What if God is just waiting for me to exercise some faith in who I say He is, in what I know He's capable of. What if I believe He is the God who does the impossible? What if those mountains are meant to be moved?

Time to stop pacing at the foot of the mountain. Time to start standing on the truth of His Word that has never failed me, not once.

...Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20-21

And when He does it, may the first words out of my mouth be glory and honor to Him.

15 comments:

  1. One of your best posts EVER. Thanks for sharing.

    (This girl has been doing some pacing of her own... so I needed this today.)

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  2. I'm so thankful that He joins us on those hikes. :)

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  3. :) For real...isn't God's Faithfulness abundant??? And why do we (I) often doubt...thanks for the reminder - He has NEVER let me out of His grip. What have I to fear?

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  4. Excellent post. I wish all of us bloggers who support our men in ministry could meet up for a retreat. There is a sisterhood in this thing called ministry that few can understand.... Praying you begin to see those mountains move.

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  5. wow, good timing. I have a big mountain I'm facing and I have been doing a lot of pacing. i think I need to move.

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  6. Love you, friend. I always appreciate your honesty.

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  7. From a fellow "pace-at-the-foot-of-the-mountain" girl... great post!!

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  8. Sara,

    Thank you for such a wonderful post! I really needed the "Gibs slap" on the back of my head! I too need to stop pacing at the foot of the mountain and leave it all at the Foot of the Cross!

    Hugs

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  9. As a fellow PW and parsonage-dweller, I can sooo relate to your post. Thanks for sharing it. :-)

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  10. Wonderful post. It reminds me of a book I read called 'Hinds feet'
    Hinds feet are what Mountain goats have so they can quickly and easily manuver on the cliffs and rocks of the mountain. The story was about a girl from a village that prayed and prayed for Jesus to come and rescue her from her evil family. (Names of some family members: Envy, Pride and Dispair) So Jesus told her to meet him at the foot of a mountain where he gave her two companions to help her on the journey, she needed to climb the mountain in order to live with him. Her companions were ugly robed figures named Steadfast and Courage(or something like that)
    Her family kept trying to break her, to make her come home, telling her she was ugly, stupid weak. Everytime she leaned on her companions they would change just a bit. By the end of her journey they were glorious beings and she had to do the last bit on her own. By then she had faught many battles, over come extreme obstacles. In the end she got her hinds feet. (I don't wanted to say earned them...because it's not the "works" we do, but she did have to work at keeping her focus on the true prize. Jesus, being near Jesus.)
    Thanks for that reminder...I my have to go read that book again. ;)

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