Why We Moved

I believe we were called here, to this place--this place where it is snowing outside--by the Almighty God. That certainly doesn't mean that ministry is easy, especially ministry that happens all around us while we're raising two very little men. But it does mean that when the going gets tough, as it has before and, undoubtedly, will again, the tough remember that this was God's will. Even the not so tough remember this. People like, well, me.

Many weeks ago, Garrett asked me if we owned our home. I told him we were renting it. "Did we own our home in Riverton?" He inquired about our first rental when we moved here three and a half years ago.

"No. We rented that one, too." I explained.

He continued, "Did we ever own our house?"

"Yes. We owned our house in San Diego." (It wasn't actually San Diego but it's just easier to explain things that way. And, as far as I'm concerned, it was close enough.)

"Why did we move?"

"For daddy's job."

"He didn't have a job in San Diego anymore?"

I replied, "No, he still had his job. We moved here because we felt like God was leading us to our church here."

"...so that Mr. Bob* would come to church and know Jesus?"

I started to say something, closed my mouth, thought for a moment and replied, "Yes. That's exactly why."

Mr. Bob is Garrett's friend's dad. I went out on a limb and invited Garrett's friend to Vacation Bible School last year. To my surprise, his mom brought him. She was searching for something--faith, religion, something. Bob was not searching. He found his wife's desire to search somewhat annoying, at best. But, to make a long story short, after several weeks, they started coming to our church. Every. Single. Week. With much more regularity than many of our church's members. Last fall, Bob accepted the Lord as his personal Savior.

We minister to a lot of people. But Bob and his family, they're at our church because the Lord brought our kids to the same preschool and then spoke volumes as we quietly witnessed.

If we never did another thing here in Utah, our ministry would be more than worth it. God used us to meet Bob where he was. Christianity is not a religion of warm and fuzzies, but if his salvation doesn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside than nothing would.

For his salvation alone, I think I will always consider our ministry a success. And for his salvation alone, I think I'll get through the hard parts.

*Not his actual name.