I remember the question I asked my mother one morning, "Do we have to go to church? I was sick of going to church all the time! I had things to do: bikes to ride, pigs in the barnyard to tease, creeks to fish, and brothers and sisters to play with – and here I was, being forced to clean up and dress up, and go to church – again! I was all of 4 years old; my mother was the church pianist in our small, rural Baptist church, and my dad was a Deacon. We went to church all the time – in my young mind, it was a crazy way to mess up a perfectly good Sunday!
I smile now when I think of that morning; I was blessed that my parents were unrelenting in our church attendance. We prayed over our meals at home, we went to church, seemingly "all the time," and, before I knew it, I was in our church's Youth Group in High School, pursuing a cute little brown-eyed cheerleader that eventually became my wife, now of over 46 years. That was fast!
I smile because my parents' insistence on church attendance, "as long as you're living under my roof!" my Father roared, led me to a life I now see as orchestrated by our loving God. I first received Christ as my Savior. That simple decision of my 12-year-old self led to me to follow God's call into ministry; marry that cute little Baptist girl who shared the same values and experiences in the faith; and now, after over 45 years in ministry, have discovered that I have been blessed with wonderful, faithful, daughters and sons-in-law, and grandchildren who are all on the path to faith. I cannot imagine a better life for my family and me!
I have been forced to grow and mature in the faith, not just to lead others in ministry, but to survive what has been, at times, terribly difficult. And because of our shared experiences as a family, my daughters' own families are involved in ministries, serving others, and, even now, are calling me from time to time to ask questions about spiritual matters. We sometimes pray together; we celebrate our faith together, and we share concerns for our nation as 'fellow believers.' Almost without thinking, our choices in life and faith have led us to be "The Church," together as a family. Again, I cannot imagine a better life for me and my family!
We have lived the truth declared in the preaching of every generation since Moses: "God has a plan for your life."
The Prophet Jeremiah, writing to God's people who were living in exile after being conquered by the Babylonians, spoke of "God's Plan." He told them to build their lives, have families, raise them in faith, and seek the welfare of the cities where they lived. He summed up the instructions with the mention of God's plan: "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
God has a plan for your life, and it is the very best life you can imagine! It will not be perfect or necessarily easy, and there will be challenges and losses, as well as good days and bad. But as you live your life with faith and trust in God's teachings and leadership, you will be able to say, with this old preacher, "I cannot imagine a better life for my family and me!"
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