I was not crying! My eyes were moist but I am sure it was owing to the weather, or maybe I had just yawned. We were, after all, up early taking our daughter to her first day of school. If I were crying, and I am not saying I was, it would be justifiable: it was an emotional moment. My little girl was now growing up before my very eyes. Starting school always seemed like such a long way off, but here we stood on the first day of classes waiting for the bell to ring. I was a bit sad. Growth is generally both exciting and a bit sad. Since moving to Michigan five months ago we’ve all grown quite a bit.
Our daughter’s starting school wasn’t even the most exciting evidence of growth in her life these last several months. Far more exciting for us as parents was to hear her profession of faith in Jesus Christ. She had been hearing the gospel in VBS all week. One song in particular seemed to have struck her as each day the kids sang: change my heart, O God. Every night for as long as I can remember we have prayed before bed time asking God to give each of the kids a new heart that knows and desires God. That week during VBS God brought that prayer in song form to our daughter’s heart. One afternoon a week later Mia shared with us that she had just prayed and asked God to give her a new heart. She said that she wanted to love Jesus. It was exciting news and real growth in her life. We continue to pray that it is genuine and we continue to help her now understand what it means to follow Jesus. That was exciting growth.
Our little dude has been growing too. Not only has he saved our monthly budget a nice little chunk by getting out of diapers, but he continues to develop a stronger personality. He has all sorts of opinions about what he wants, what he likes, and what he wants to do. He is my little buddy. He helps me to clean, fix things (many of you know how much help I need there), and go on coffee runs with me. He makes us all laugh on a near hourly basis. We continue to pray that he will come to faith in Christ too. His sister has begun to be a good witness to him.
Both Krista and I are experiencing great spiritual growth during this season of life too. Krista is not only reaping the benefits of the wisdom of a number of mature godly women who have taken an interest in her, but she has also joined the Women’s Ministry Team. She is helping to lead the service arm of this great ministry. As our family moved into our new home she is particularly enjoying decorating and organizing our new place. She does such a great job at this.
In my own individual life I’ve experienced some growth too. I have been at Cornerstone long enough now that people have begun to get comfortable with me. So, my counseling load has increased significantly over the last two months. But counseling others has always been one of the ways that God exposes sin and weakness in my own life. As I attempt to help others work through problems God illuminates ways in which I need to do the same things. The more I counsel the more God points me in the direction of my own growth.
It’s been a good 5 months. We’ve made lots of good friends, enjoyed our new home, and experienced lot of our city. Of course, in all of it, we often reflect on those we miss back in Ohio. Growth is often exciting and yet also bittersweet. We loved having some friends visit us recently, and we’ve enjoyed some great trips back to Ohio to visit family. The time has really flown by; it’s been emotional but exciting too. I haven’t cried, but I may have yawned a few times these last five months.
Sparrow & Heart Soul Care 