Visiting the past

In my thirty something years of church attendance, I’ve attended four different churches and only ever been an official member of one church. For one reason and another, I left that congregation about three years ago. I visit sometimes, realising I’m not a member there any more, just a visitor. Times have moved on, children have grown, other people have come and gone, some people still come to me in friendship and interest, others are probably indifferent to my visiting there. I think of the love and commitment I felt towards that group of people, of all the aspirations I personally had of belonging and contributing and still feel a pang in my heart. I love and care for people there still, and pray for their encouragement and for God's blessing and purposes to be fulfilled there.

I’ve learned that we can have intentions of what we can do for God, only to discover that what He has planned for us can be different.  I know now that for whatever reason, God allowed me to experience a time of turbulence, which, painful as it was, has deepened my walk with Him and dependence on His loving care. I know now that we can all fall prey to our own pride and weaknesses. I've learned the need to work within teams rather than individually. God never wastes anything, and many of the personal trials I’ve experienced over a lifetime have led to study, deeper insights and enabled me to minister to others and work in different settings. Some doors that were only ajar have slammed firmly shut, others have opened in their place, and the journey of my life will no doubt continue through a few more. 

Chinese Garden, Hervey Bay Botanical Gardens