Life is full of changes. Sometimes we initiate the change, and sometimes God initiates the change. I have learned life is much better when God does the changing than me! I have made changes on my own without talking to God in the past, and it was a big mistake. I am not saying that God's initiated changes in life come without difficulty, but I am saying when we allow God complete control over our lives and submit to His will, the changes that come are a part of His plan. The changes will bring circumstances that will develop us to be who God has called us to be and will put us in places to reach who He had mapped out for us to reach.
Some people may think that what I am about to say is not that big of a deal, but I am taking the opportunity to express some things that are on my heart. I am going to be leaving Guntersville First United Methodist Church and partnering with another church in Guntersville, Real Church. Some people may think, "People go to different churches all the time, so why does this matter?" It matters to me for many reasons: I take any commitment I make very seriously, I believe being consistently connected with a local body of believers is vital to spiritual health, and I believe that many people in American churches do a lot of "church hopping" because they get offended or aren't entertained enough for their liking.
Guntersville First United Methodist Church is an amazing church and I am very thankful for their kindness and love towards me and my son after the death of my husband. I am not leaving because I am mad, upset, offended, or bored. The only reason why I am leaving, which should be the only reason someone leaves a church, is because God said go. God didn't tell me to go for any other reason than it is His will and His plan for me to be a part of Real Church. Earlier in my Christian walk, and especially in my college years, I went to lots of different chuches. While it is good to learn about other denominations, it is not good to hop from church to church. To flourish in our personal relationship with Christ, we must be consistently connected with a local church, not try out a new church every six months.
It was difficult for me to say yes to that change because I love the people I go to church with. The difficulty with obedience is that sometimes God will lead you to make changes that aren't always easy. If you are seeking Him for direction and guidance, He will ask you to do things that hurt. It was not a comfortable thing for me to tell some of my friends that I would not be going to church with them anymore. However, after prayer and seeking God for direction, I had a very real God encounter which told me what step to take. That is why it is so important to seek God earnestly. Without letting Him be in the driver's seat of our lives, we may miss out on specific opportunities and directions He has planned for us to take.