When stepping away is best...
Crisis invokes visions of frantic action and problem solving, and that is certainly what this last 3 1/2 weeks has contained, however God has spoken this over me in a repetitive fashion,
“I can do more in your absence than I can do in your presence.”
The crux of that statement is that my prayerful absence is more powerful than my frantic presence…and I have learned that to be the case.
A trip was already planned before September 10th occurred. This trip was to be a rare one in that I never leave campus in August or September. For us, that is go time and it is crucial for us to make connections with students and foster their growth.
It was rare because it was a request of my daughter, Adalynn, who would be turning 18 and had just two requests…
to see her Grammie (my mom in Virginia)
to go to her favorite K-pop band’s concert (P-1 Harmony for those that care.)
So leave campus, I must.
While planning the trip, I decided to (in another rare moment) reach out to a pastor friend in the area to see if I could visit his church on the Sunday I would be there. My thought was that I could just attend and have lunch with him and his wife…but he said, no they would have me greet the church.
So last Sunday, I greeted this church that has been supporting us for almost 14 years. Many of them had no idea that as they prayed for our campus on September 10th, they had laid the ground work 14 years ago for us to be present on the day of the shooting. They started supporting us five months before we arrived in Utah in July of 2012.
I had no idea how emotional and sweet this moment would be celebrating what God has done in the past few weeks with those that quite literally made it possible.
That evening, we headed toward the concert venue in the DC area but first stopped at another church (the church Daran and I were associate pastors at before doing Chi Alpha.) This church also has supported us since 2012 and many of our friends in the church have supported us for longer.
I got to tell the whole story to them, and afterwards be embraced by these saints that had first loved our family as pastors and then sent us off and toiled in prayer and sacrificial giving for 14 long years. That moment was quite indescribable…like the ones that will be permanently etched in your memories under the label “the goodness of God.”
Of course hanging out with my three daughters and my family were absolutely lovely and so memorable, but the other moments were like “the peace that passes all understanding” wrapped in a bow.
I continue to realize that it is God who knows my needs far better than I do.
And he continues to do “more in my absence than in my presence.”