Treadmill Christianity Part 4-This is Home

My final thoughts on "Treadmill Christianity" surround an event that happened in my family almost one year ago. On the first Sunday in January 2011, I went to church as I normally did...but I could feel God doing something in my heart. Through the worship practice time I felt the voice of God speaking to me...telling me that He was calling us away from Refuge A/G.

The moment I heard that, I felt thrown into a state of panic. Fear flooded me. Fear because I didn't want to leave my home. I immediately thought of our children, who we had adopted several years earlier. I couldn't imagine the thought of taking them from the home they knew...from the school they knew....from the friends they had. It just didn't make sense to me. Why would God do this?

Then I thought about our church. My husband and I had spent 9 1/2 years at that church. It was our "baby". We had friends there...it was our church family. Why would God have us leave?

I also thought about the worship team. When we first came to Refuge, I had never led worship. I was scared to death of the prospects of doing so! But God grew me in ways I would have never imagined......giving me the courage and strength lead worship. Over those 9+ years, God grew our worship team by leaps and bounds! I loved leading worship! I mean, think about it....I had the same drummer for the entire 9 1/2 years. He basically could read my mind and knew exactly where I was going with a song without me even signaling anything to him! Why would God have us leave?

Nothing made sense to me. Nothing made sense....in my OWN mind. I was comfortable with our church. I was comfortable leading worship. It was comfortable not rocking the boat and uprooting our children from their home and school. It was downright scary to think of leaving.

So because of these fears and "comforts" I had, I basically dismissed what I felt God telling me. It didn't make sense to me. Maybe I just heard God wrong.

What I didn't account for was what happened after the church service. I really had almost forgotten about what happened earlier that morning. As we were getting ready to leave, my husband called me into his office. He had a weird look on his face as he said, "I have to tell you something...." I could tell he had something major to tell me.

Then he said it. "Today during service I felt God telling me that it's time for us to leave Refuge A/G."

If that isn't comfirmation, I don't know what is! (Now as a sidenote, I had not said a single word to him about what I had felt earlier that morning.)

At that moment, it was like all the pieces in the puzzle came together. I immediately told Kirk what God spoke to me and we both hugged each other and just knew what this meant. God was calling us to something new.

Yes, it would have been easy to stay. We were use to it there. We wouldn't have to go through sending out resumes, finding a new house, moving our children to a new place, etc....etc... We wouldn't have to go through leaving the people of our church. We wouldn't have to leave everything we knew.

That would have been the easy route. That would have been comfortable. That would have kept us on the treadmill.....spinning our wheels around and around....getting nowhere....because that was not what God wanted for us.

The next months for us consisted of a lot of "faith" moments....trusting God as we prayed about where to send resumes to. We earnestly prayed that God would lead us to the place that He wanted us to. God worked on our hearts and gave us a passion and excitement in our hearts for our new church family...even though we didn't know where that was yet.

We started the resume process in January and it took several months before hearing much from anywhere. But once God opened the door, it was simply AMAZING how everything came together. As doors closed all around us, God pointed us to one OPEN door--Lighthouse A/G in Tomah, Wisconsin. It was truly astonishing how God ordered our paths and brought us to this church.

Kirk and I traveled up to Tomah in April to interview for the position. I cannot even describe to you how we felt once arriving in Tomah...and once meeting some of the people of the church.

Home. We were home.

We felt at home immediately. All the fears and questions about our future were quieted as we had a sudden peace. God had us in the palm of His hands. He knew. He was bringing us home.

In May we came back to candidate for the position of pastor. I remember sitting in the sanctuary while the members of the church voted. My youngest daughter came and sat by me and leaned over and whispered to me, "I think we got it, Mom!" When I asked her if she was excited about this, she just grinned......"Yes, I like it here!"

Ahhhh....just what a mom's heart needed to hear!

I was overcome with emotion when the church welcomed us in as the newly voted in pastors. I tried to hold back tears of joy, but was unable to when my husband became choked up with emotion while he spoke to the congregation.

We were home. We truly have a family here. Yes, we had to leave the familiar....we had to step out in faith...we had to leave our comfort zone...we had to leave everything we knew...we had to leave our church family and friends. But we gained so very much.

First off, we knew we are in God's will. What better place is there to be than right in the center of His will????

Secondly, we gained a true family. It's amazing how God just placed us into such a loving spot, full of everything we needed. In the 6 months we have been here in Tomah, I have truly come to love our church and the people in it. Our whole family has....It's more than a church. It's more than a job. It's our home. It's our family.

I thank God for getting us off the treadmill and into the change He wanted for our lives.

God knew every step of this giant LEAP of faith. Now, I'm not saying this was all easy. But what I mean is that God was there for us. When He calls us, He WILL provide...and He WILL lead.

Whatever God is calling you to, walk in it boldly. You have nothing to fear about getting off the treadmill...or getting out of the boat.

I am going to close this "blog series" with the words from a favorite song of mine...."Never Once" by Matt Redman

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us
Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Treadmill Christianity Part 3-The Bible in One Year Treadmill

So my plan was to end this "series" with a story from my family of how we jumped off our own treadmill and into the plan that God had for us.....which I still am going to do. However, God has added a different part 3 to this series....which makes that story an upcoming blog for part 4. So sorry if you were anxiously awaiting that story. You will have to wait just a few more days!

In my personal devotional life, I am getting ready to finish up the "Read the Bible in 1 Year" plan. This year I did great with it! I stayed on track most the year and only had a few instances of major catch-up when I did get behind. I've contemplated and prayed about what God wants me to do for this year and I've felt a new plan brewing....one that will definitely get me off of any "Bible-reading treadmill" that I've been spinning my wheels on.

The one thing that bugged me about the plan to read the Bible through in a year is that I always felt that like was my assignment for the day. Once I would finish my chapters for the day, I stopped. I had finished my task for the day. It seemed almost like a chore. Something robotic.

...going through the motions...

I want to read the Bible through in a year again..............but I want to end this next year with more than just being able to say, "I did it!" Instead, I want to say that I studied the Scriptures...that I had an actual personal communion with God each and every day.

Now I'm not saying that I didn't have a personal communion time with God in my devotions. There were many days where God opened up the Scriptures and taught me so very much.

But shouldn't that happen every time I meet with God?

I don't want my Bible reading to become a motion that I go through each. I don't want it to simply be an item on my checklist that I mark off every day.

My goal will be to read the Bible in a year, but I am not going to limit myself to the 3 or 4 chapters for the day. This next year I am going to use that as a starting point. But each day I'm going to make a point to truly STUDY the scriptures and spend as much time reading as God directs me!

It's time to get off the treadmill of going through the motions!!!!

Treadmill Christianity Part 2-Apathy

Today is December 26th and I ran 2 miles OUTSIDE today! Emphasize the word "OUTSIDE"! That may not seem like a big deal, but it really is to me. That means that I could run outside instead of being trapped on the treadmill that just keeps going around and around. Granted, I did get a little wind-blown on my run, but it was sure worth it!

Treadmill running is just not as fun. But as much as I despise running on the treadmill physically, I unfortunately have spent a lot of time on the spiritual treadmill. I have found that it is so incredibly easy to get to that spot where you are comfortable and everything seems great. It seems like you have a great relationship with God. But then one day you realize that you haven't grown in awhile. You realize you've just been spinning your wheels going around the same spot....kinda like a car stuck on ice.

So how does this happen? I equate it with spiritual apathy. Apathy is defined as "the absence or supression of passion, emotion, or excitement". Apathy sneaks in when you least expect it and causes you to become numb to everything around you....become numb to the things of God...become numb to following God's voice.

Now I bet you are wondering how in the world a pastor's wife can become apathetic??? ....gasp... Could it be true???

Yes, even pastor's wives can become apathetic about God. Apathy happens when our excitement and passion leaves. Apathy makes us feel comfortable. Apathy makes us feel blah. Spiritual Apathy happens when we are not investing the right time or passion into the things of God.

So many times in my walk with God I have gotten to the point where I needed a rejuvenation of passion. But I am sad to say that I have not always handled it correctly. It's easy to stay apathetic and stay on that spiritual treadmill. It's soooo easy to stay comfortable. Don't we all just love our comfort zones?????

Apathy disappears when we step out of the comfort zone and into the area God is calling us to. Apathy disappears when we step off the spiritual treadmill and start moving forward.

So whatever it is God is calling you to do, follow His voice. EVEN IF it is scary. EVEN IF you have to get off the treadmill and step into some unfamiliar territory.

I'm attaching a link to an article I wrote about apathy that may be of some interest.....

http://www.ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/ministry-leadership/women-in-leadership/18489-confessions-of-an-apathetic-pastors-wife

Look for the next blog post soon.....which will be part 3 in the Treadmill Christinity series. This post will center around one GIANT leap off the treadmill that my family took recently...and the result of what God has done in our lives!!!!

Treadmill Christianity Part 1

I love to run. But my passion for running begins to fade as the winter months start, ushering in the cold weather. Who wants to run in the cold, especially if the roads are icy? I can just see myself falling on a patch of black ice....I'm not even gonna attempt that one.

So the winter months leave me the option of running indoors if the weather is bad. Indoors means running on our treadmill. Now, I will say that we are blessed to have a treadmill....AND have a place to put it in our house.

However, me and Mr. Treadmill do not get along very well. Our relationship started off rocky as the first time I used it, I fell off of it. Yes, go ahead and laugh. Looking back I do admit that it was quite a funny situation. My feet just had an issue with the treadmill track moving, but the sides staying stationary. So as I am running with all my might, I shifted to the side and my foot landed on the non-moving part. That is not a good combination when you are running at a fast pace. End result....me on the floor in shock about what happened. Me despising the treadmill.

But despite my feelings for the treadmill, I still use it. Yes, I have gotten use to the idea of a moving track under my feet. I have forced myself to use the treadmill so that I can stay in shape...or at least attempt to...for running some more races in the spring and summer.

Does that mean I enjoy the treadmill now? NO WAY! I still don't like the thing. I still despise running on there and constantly fear another "land on the floor" situation. To me, treadmills are completely boring! I mean, I can run for 20 minutes and I'll be in the same place I started when I complete my run! Treadmills stay in the same place. Treadmills don't move forward. Treadmills keep you tied to the same path over and over. And over. And over.

Running outside is so much more freeing. I don't even realize how long I've been running outside because there is so much to look at. The scenery changes. Cars drive by. People I know honk as they go by. And the best part is that I actually GET SOMEWHERE when I run outside!

So as I've been forcing myself to run on this treadmill that I do so despise, I've started thinking about how this relates to our relationship with God. Yes, this is what I love to do...compare everyday life experiences to our relationship with God. It's amazing how many lessons one can learn!

How many times are we "Treadmill Christians"???? What I mean by that is that we walk the same path over and over. And over. And over. We refuse to go deeper. We don't move forward.

It can get so comfortable on the treadmill. There's no threats of weather or getting caught in the rain or a thunderstorm. There's no concern of being away from home. Treadmills tie you down to one location.

Treadmill Christianity happens when we find a spot we are comfortable in and we STAY there instead of moving forward. Often the allure of the comfortable makes us want to remain. We seem to be doing great. We're getting some exercise. At least we're moving...isn't that good?

Did you know you can be moving but still not growing?

You might be doing things for God, but if you are stuck in the same rut...are you really growing? God's design for our relationship with Him is not that we spin our wheels and stay in the same place in our walk with Him. He wants us to continually grow! He wants us to MOVE FORWARD!!!!