Heartbreak for Him

Following Jesus is hard. Not hard as in 'hard' because, well, we live in America. So it's not hard because of persecution, it's just really hard on ones heart.

Four and a half years ago Zach made the decision to follow where God was leading us. It was a huge uproar to where we had seen our life going, HUGE. Live in Kansas, have a house, send our kids to good schools, go to the congregation I had grown up in; all of that was our plan. Well, it changed big time when we felt we weren't where God wanted us to be. We prayed, and we prayed some more, for months. And then the answer came when the Navy accepted Zach and he was sent to bootcamp in Great Lakes.

This plan was completely different, but for some reason it felt calm. I was angry and upset, but knew it was what God wanted us to do so I was at peace with it; my emotions just had to catch up.

There have been moments over the past four years where I have heard, "This is why you're here."  Not a lot, but more than twice. I have seen God using people and churches here to help us grow and mature spiritually. I have seen Him put us in the lives of other people that needed help in different areas of their lives and we have been here to be God's hands here on Earth.

We have prayed the entire time that God put us where we need to be to do the most work for His kingdom here on Earth, but now for the first time I'm experiencing heartbreak when some of the people are having to say goodbye.

We knew what we were "getting into" when Zach joined the Navy and felt that was part of the plan God had for our lives. To be in people's lives but for a time and then move on to be with others. It's still hard though and it still hurts my heart that I have to "give up" people who are now my family.  That I can't be with them forever here on Earth and reap the benefits of their love.

There's a verse in Mark that brings this aspect of being a Christian straight home. 

"When He had gone a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.  Without delay He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him."  Mark 1: 19-20

Did you hear that? They left their father immediately and followed Jesus.  They knew following Jesus was the most important thing they needed to do. They were called to follow Him not when they were ready but when He called them. At the same time they had to leave their father behind. Don't you think that was emotional? They knew they had to follow Jesus and they didn't care that it might break their hearts.  They still went through the emotions, most likely, but they knew it was God's plan to move when He said move.

Let us all be willing to get our hearts broken following God's plans for our lives here on Earth.  With each break He places our hearts back together looking more and more like Jesus's.  

In Him,

Ashley