You might remember
this post that I wrote about seven months ago! I kind of left things hanging. I think it was actually God's timing because He has been speaking for several months! So here goes
Getting A Little Personal, Part Two!
I started 2009 feeling, well, I guess the right word would be
weary. 2009 also just happened to be the busiest year for me since I had kids, ministry wise. By March I was beyond tired, so I asked my husband and our mentor, "When do you know it's right to have a rest or a sabbatical?" The conversation really didn't go anywhere so I thought maybe it shouldn't be entertained. So I kept pushing through thinking, "Just more time with God. More times of individual rest here and there." Basically I laid the whole idea down, knowing that if it was right, God would bring it back up...eventually.
Well, He did bring it back up about 5 months later. It was August and Jeremy was back in the states. He met with our mentor to bounce some things off of him and get some feedback. The sabbatical idea was re-visited, and the timing seemed right to pursue it.
After Jeremy came back from that trip, we prayed together about the whole idea. After a few prayers we knew God was leading us to take a sabbatical, a rest. As we shared with our core team and our staff, the response was an overwhelming, "Yes!" This was huge for us because with us being gone, many would have to take on extra jobs and rise up in new leadership positions. We felt so loved knowing that they were willing to do that for us.
So what does that mean for us? Well, we have been in the process of transitioning all of our responsibilities to our staff. In the next few weeks, that transition will be complete. After that, we will start a 3-6 month sabbatical. Without our ministry roles, it will give us an opportunity to disengage for a time and truly be able to rest. It will be a time for God to speak to us and do an upgrade in us.
What it does not mean. Many people have a lot of questions for us regarding this. This does not mean that we have a problem in our marriage. In fact, our marriage is the best it's ever been. It does not mean that we are leaving Ten Thousand Homes. And it does not mean that we have unresolved issues with our staff. Without our wonderful staff, we wouldn't even be able to step away like this. It simply means that after 14 years in full-time missions, we are finally taking a much needed rest.
What does it mean for this space? Many people have also asked me if I will still blog. I am planning on it! I love blogging and see it as one of my creative outlets. It's not work for me so I can't imagine not doing it. I might take some breaks here and there but you will definitely still see posts here!
There's much more I could write about but then this starts to get long and I start losing readers! I will share more in the coming months about this specifically. And if you think of us, pray for us and for our staff back in Africa!
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