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Jul. 24th, 2007 | 07:39 am

It seems that I am surrounded by alot of pain right now. Students are dying, friends are moving, tough decisions made that cause pain, lots of hurting hearts... it's been a tough couple of weeks.

Last week I sat in a staff meeting where a dear friend shared that he and another staff friend are leaving Sunset. This raises eyebrows as we've had several departures of late.
As I was sitting there I felt numb, or was it mature.
Tears were welling up as I thought about how difficult these decisions are both for those who leave and for those who are left. But as I looked around the room I saw so many capable people who are here, because someone else left. In my own life this is true. My transition to leadership in ministry happened because someone else was moving out of ministry.

There was a season in ministry where my heart couldn't take these kinds of changes. I clearly remember the moment when Donna Hayden left Sunset and I cried out "Lord, I'm not making anymore meaningful relationships at work!" but today that's a perposterous statement in light of the friendships that have blossomed in our hallways.

Is something broken? Yes, this is a broken world. Students die, people move, decisions hurt. I cannot imagine living today without the hope and faith I have in Christ.
Hope that there is something more, a belief that He knows our suffering and pain and is in the midst of all this.

Psalm 25:5 (New International Version)
5 guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

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from: anonymous
date: Jul. 24th, 2007 05:07 pm (UTC)
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It's been a REALLY tough decision for me. I love your thoughts...I cannot wait to see who the Lord bring to Sunset next! And you are NOT losing a friend, we are just going to be a little further apart. I have great confidence that we will be seeing each other again. Often.

Matt

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Christina said:

from: anonymous
date: Jul. 24th, 2007 08:22 pm (UTC)
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Such a balanced perspective! Of course life hurts. I, too, have felt slapped in the back by change or traumatic life events. Baffled by them. Sometimes, it can feel like there are weights pulling my mind down into deep water and I feel like I am drowning in these overwhelming developments. That is when I understand the Psalms of David the best. The Holy Spirit ministers to our hurting hearts and minds, when we we recall how sufficiently God has been in control, just as you did in your post.

I think of Jay and the depth, breadth and healing that he has brought with him, as he has served at Sunset. The same with Robert Hawthorne. Yet people had to exit for their next chapters, in order for us to be ministered to by these brilliant brothers. More brilliance is following in Robert's wake, with the leadership of Jill. . . and we get to KEEP Robert (and Leslie Thomas)in the community, too!

Matt and Jen are going to be tough ones to say goodbye to. They have blessed many with true friendship and served with excellence. They are and will be loved.

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