Returning

Greetings,

The long lost blogger has returned, well sort of. It has been quite sometime since my last blog post. That most has to do with the massive changes that my life has under gone in what feels like a very short period of time.

I spent this past weekend connecting with the people of First United Methodist Church of Katy in Katy, Texas. I was offered the chance to speak at all three services there and gladly took it. It felt so good to look out into the congregation and see so many friendly faces. It felt even better to be able to connect with a church that has a been a huge supporter if my mission thus far.

As wonderful as it was to be there, this did not come with out it’s difficulties. Life as you may have surmised is in constant motion, and so things were not exactly as I had left them. Same changes were welcomed and in fact it was the things that didn’t change that may have been the hardest for me to deal with. Let me clarify.

When you leave a place for an extended period of time you expect things to be different. You expect people to have aged a bit and for things to maybe function in different ways. The difficulty comes when you come back and you encounter the things that have not changed. Ana example may in fact make this just a tad clearer.

Along with preaching three services on Sunday morning I was offered the chance to assit with the Sunday Night youth activities. I was essentially given freedom to lead the lesson time and to give a message of sorts. This felt eriely familiar as it was much like it had been before I left. Of course I came back a different person and the youth were different but the feeling was much the same.

I missed this feeling, talking with kids, sitting down and eating with them, leading them in activities and challenging them. This is no longer my job and though it was nice to have that experience again, I know that that will most likely never be my role again for any extended period of time. So even though it feels the same and is just as exciting as before it is clear to me that that
particular chapter is closed to me, and now belongs to someone else. It’s a hard thing to realize, especially when that passion hasn’t gone away.

Don’t get me wrong I am very excited about where my life is going, and what is in my future, but it can just be difficult to go back to a place where you used to fill a role, and know that’s not the case anymore.

I feel confident that FUMC of Katy will continue to support me in my ministry, and for this I am eternally grateful. I guess it’s just odd to think of myself as an outsider, even if I don’t feel like one. All this being said, I had a more than wonderful time hanging out with the youth seeing people that I had missed dearly, meeting new people and talking about my experience. It is so encouraging to know that there is a congregation full of people who wish you well and support you in what you are doing.

I am so thankful for the First United Methodist Church of Katy, and their support of me as I venture on to Detroit and beyond. It is helpful to know that there are loving people waiting embrace me and my ministry in what ever way they can. I pray that I can let go of what needs to be let go of, take on what needs to be taken, and find comfort and peace wherever that balance may be.

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