Part 3 is hard to write. It's hard to capsulize 3 years into 1 post. It might be a tad long... A week after Aaron's meeting, we got an official letter in the mail confirming what we already knew. They had chosen not to renew Aaron's license. We didn't talk about it again for a long time. Emmy came at the end of May and gave me a new purpose and a new focus. I didn't allow myself the time to think about where we'd come from. I decided I could only look at what was ahead. There was too much pain in looking back. Aaron's job was going well. Better than we'd expected actually. Our little apartment was home. We were attending a new church with a lot of people our age. New friends. Our friends Kara and Landon, that I mentioned in my last post, were attending this church as well. Landon was on staff there as Administrative Pastor. Before we left for North Dakota, Landon and Kara had shared with us that they felt called to plant a church in the town Landon grew up in, Fishers, Indiana. We thought that sounded great, but just not for us. We'd been praying for thier efforts but chose to go a different way. Now that our paths were crossing again, Aaron and I felt like the Lord was leading us to join Kara and Landon on the Lauch Team for this new church. Would I even dare entertain the thought that Aaron could lead the youth ministry? We were so far removed from that, it seemed nonsensical to even think about. Yet, Aaron seemed resiliant. He'd been meeting with the Pastor regularly and decided that he wanted to start pursuing his license again. The Pastor presented it to the church board in the spring of 2010 and they voted to grant him his local license. (More church talk. It's 1 step below the license he lost). Over the next year, more people jumped on board with the church plant, we had meetings, made plans, raised money. Each step that moved us closer to the launch of the church squeezed my heart tighter and tighter. Would Aaron even want to take on the youth group? Would Landon consider letting him? If so, can we even do this? Should we do this? I mean, as far as I was concerned we were damaged goods, didn't everyone else see us that way too? In the Spring of 2011 we had a launch team meeting. During this meeting, we decided we wanted to nail down specific ministires we wanted up and running when we launched and assign ministry heads. I remember sitting in the meeting holding my breathe. Then it happened. Aaron volunteered to lead the teens. I sat there waiting for the objections, but nothing. Maybe we weren't as damaged as I thought. My heart soared. It was healing for me to know that other people had faith in my husband. In the spring of 2011, we were getting ready to welcome our 2nd daughter, Macie. Things were going great with Fishers Point, Aaron's job was going well, we'd moved out of our beloved little apartment into a larger townhouse. Aaron had been serving with his local license for a year and was preparing for a meeting with the credentials board here in Indy. He was ready to interview with them to try and get his district license back. Two weeks before the meeting, Aaron recieved an email saying that there was a plan that needed to be put in place, things that needed to be done before he could interview with the credentials board. When we receieved the email, we knew there was no way any of it could be done before the meeting. Again, I felt like we were in a bit of a tailspin. For 2 years, we'd been followed around by this so called monkey. He was always on our backs. Aaron was tired of explaining, reexplaining, and even just talking about those first painful weeks. He'd rediscovered his call and purpose in ministry and just wanted to get on with it. But, God had other plans. So, we went on with the process of waiting.... Part 4 will be the end of the story. No, not the end, we'll just come to the current time. The experiences Aaron and I have had have shaped us, our family, our ministry, but mostly- it's shaped our faith.
I want to take a minute and brag a little bit on our church family. We talk a lot at our church (now named Fishers Point Community Church) how we're a family and how we're a healing church. We get people who are at the lowest point of thier life. They're tired, battered, angry, hurt, run down. We love to just put our arms around them and love on them and show them Jesus as much as we can. I think we're probably so good at this because we all have been in the same position at one time. Before we ever set up a single folding chair in that school gym, or sang a worship song, or served a cup of coffee and a muffin, God knew that Aaron and I needed these people. He knew how deeply we were hurt and He led us to a group of people who loved us more deeply. He led us to a group of people who walked beside us, who held us up, who had faith in us. Wherever this road leads us, whatever else God might have for us in the future, I'll be forever grateful to our church family.
3 Comments
Karen
6/19/2012 05:13:09 am
Jessica, I have not had time to read your blog until today. I want you to know that I appreciate how transparent you are. What you have to say will touch more hearts than you will ever know and will give encouragement to those who struggle ( which, of course, would be all of us at one time or another). God has given you many gifts, and He is so happy watching you use them! God bless you!
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Jessica
6/19/2012 07:53:44 am
Thank You, Karen!
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HEY, I'M JESSICA!
Christian. Wife. Mommy. Daughter. Pastor. Friend. Saved.Redeemed. Beloved.
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