Hello friends!!! I have been terrible about blogging but I intend on getting better and update you about what all is, has been, and what is ahead of the Hill family. Wow, have things been C.R.A.Z.Y!!!
First off, as I sit in what I believe is now our 6th home to live in since June (though I've lost track) I am ever more grateful to the amazing people that have been so open in allowing our family to find rest in their homes during the attempts to sell our home. There really are no words of the amount of appreciation we have in these precious people.
So.....April 15th, 2012. Bryan's official first day on staff as the Associate Pastor over LifeGroups/LifeMissions at LifeChurch.tv in Wellington, Florida. Yep, no longer a banker, which has been his career for 17 years. WHAT????
So, as many of you know or didn't know, we have served as volunteers in ministry for more than 12 years full time. Through that time, we focused on growing spiritually during the good, bad, and ugly seasons of life. If we weren't at the church, we were on our way to the church. If we weren't on a call with someone from the church, we were with someone from the church. You get my point. We have actively been involved in the church for some time now! I remember Maddee just being born and Bryan was asked to pray about joining the worship band. This was a lifelong dream of his stemming from his love for 80's music mainly as a kid, but after accepting this position in the band, it became the very turning point for our family and in his leadership for our family. (side note: he is SOOO good on the bass, aka Tangerine)
After some time serving, those that really knew Bryan and I had already made their own assumption that one day he would commit his life to ministry however we thought they were just smokn' the funny stuff and so we just kept making light of it.
Fast forward to last year around July, we had each been feeling something big that God was doing in our lives and it called for a drastic step in obedience which was to leave the very church that we helped start with the very best of friends and their children to go and focus on what exactly God had in store for us. Blown away from that realization and painfully doing just that, we were obedient and indeed left and began a time of pulling away from all that we've known throughout our times during volunteer ministry. Not to mention, our children's lives when this was all they've known. HARD TIMES they were emotionally, spiritually, mentally, physically, etc!
Fast forward to now and you already may have heard about the craziness that God later revealed to us in HIS perfect way which was to step out and GO into a full time pastor role in a church.
Now, I all capsed the word "GO" for a reason and here it is....
During the season of the unknown that we experienced, we specified in our prayers for God to reveal to us wherever and whenever for us to GO and do his work. Our narrow-minded heads never thought it would be where we are today because that's how God operates. It's ALWAYS bigger and better that our tiny minds can fathom. His plans are always good and perfect. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He said, "GO!" As crazy as it sounds, just like when Jesus walked down to the waters and said to the fisherman, "get up, leave your things behind and just come and follow me." We did just that. Was it easy? Did we know what trials were ahead of us? Has it been easy? The real answer is NO!
I strongly believe that because we did go, he has been using that act of obedience to build us up and make us stronger in faith. Trusting Him each and every step of the way. Literally. Surrendering each fear, sadness, frustration, hurt, weariness, anger, displacement to him at the very foot of the cross to which my Jesus bled and died yet defeated Satan by rising up from the grave for me.
I'm preaching, I know. I just can't help it!
So, please hear me when I say that I completely understand the fear of the unknown. I get it! However, I never understood the meaning of "lay all of your burdens down and find rest in the Lord" until this very experience. I thought I did. I thought I surrendered it all to him in my walk until it was HE to which it was all I had to turn to. No more Mel and Bryan figuring things out, yet literally rely solely on HIM for it all!!!
I pray that in the midst of your unknown, you will surrender everything to him. It isn't easy to let down your controling wall but you have to! Allow the Creator of All things be your guide. There is no one who loves you more nor wants to see you succeed in all that you do more than He does. Be real, he already knows your burdens, just trust in him to carry you through them.
PS...We are still trying to sell our home in Arkansas as of today. It's been 4 months now. I haven't stopped believing in Him, in fact trusting in God is all we have for hope. I pray you get there as well in your situation.
I love you,
Mel
