Are we REALLY ready??

When Sue mentioned this all-church fast at our Leadership Team meeting last month, I was excited to think about what God has in store for us as a church, and what He may reveal to us through this fast. Then, as we were making preparations to begin, it hit me that God may lead Cornerstone in a direction that “I” may not be comfortable with.

A lot of you already know this, some may not, but Brian and I are blessed to have been a part of Cornerstone since the very first meeting, almost 10 years ago. There have been a lot of changes through these 10 years, changes within Brian and I, our family, and changes within Cornerstone. Some have been easy, others have not; but, God has always been at work.

Since it’s inception, either Brian or myself has been in some kind of a leadership position at Cornerstone. Unfortunately, this has fulfilled my need to control. As we enter this fast, I am also entering the last days of my position on the Leadership Team. I am confident that God is calling me to a time of rest, but I am fearful of giving up my position of control. What if things change drastically? What if the Children’s Ministry falls apart? What if the Youth lose direction? What if? What if? What if?

What if I really let God have the control? He always works together for good. Why can’t I trust that?

In the first days of our fast, I hit my breaking point. Unfortunately, my life goes in cycles where I control, control, control, and then fall apart because I just can’t handle one more thing. These are the times where God really speaks to me. This time, He has clearly told me that He is in control of Cornerstone and it’s my job to release that control to Him and to trust that He will do what is best. All I need to do is take this time to deepen my relationship with Him and He will do the rest. Yesterday, I did okay with that. Today, it’s still early and emotions are still raw. By the end of the fast, I am confident that God will have given me the strength to handle whatever changes may occur.

On another note…in response to Barry’s sermon on Sunday…Brian works at 3M, and, as it is at most companies now, things are stressful. A lot of people have been cut and Brian has been spared (thank God!). But, with that comes the stress of trying to figure out and prioritize what needs to be done and who needs to do what. It’s been a time of long hours and uncertainty of whether or not he is doing the job that is needed.

Yesterday, Brian’s boss called him into his office and presented him with a certificate and a cash bonus for going above and beyond what has been needed within the division. What a blessing! This was just the boost Brian needed to keep going. It also hit him how this is exactly what Barry was talking about on Sunday….God spoke through Randy. So, Brian went in and told his boss how much he was blessed by the recognition. Randy seemed a bit uncomfortable and tried to make a joke of things, but I pray that he knows that God used him yesterday to bless Brian, and our family, in a great way.

Blessings to all of you today!
Jen