Distractions

What happens when you try to plant a church? God moves mountains that's what. In the past few weeks our church has been able to secure a venue to hold our Sunday morning service! It's a wedding catering hall in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA. It's soo nice to have a place to invite people to. It was difficult to tell people about a church that didn't "exist" yet at a location that hadn't been determined yet.

Other good has come my way. I have accepted a teaching position at Hunting Park Christian Academy. I will be teaching Middle School Math and Bible. That's 6th-8th grade. It is a full-time position with benefits. I am truly blessed. Back in January, before I had decided to listen to God an commit to moving to Philadelphia, I looked into Christian schools in the Philly area. I came across HPCA at that time and saw that they had a 5th grade vacancy posted. I e-mailed the principal but never heard back. Fast forward nearly 4 full months later, on a day that I was praying to God about future jobs and FINALLY giving that control over to him, I heard back from HPCA. They wanted to interview me.

In spite of being so clearly blessed and provided for, my flesh longed for something more: companionship. I neither dated nor pursued anyone while I was in Ann Arbor. Sure I had a crush here and there, but all short-lived. When I moved back to Philly, I started dating again. I enjoyed the thrill of the pursuit and the hope of a future spouse. I quickly became super distracted by this. I idolized my phone and use every opportunity possible to check my messages and emails to see if I had any new contacts from the online dating site I was using. My work with the church became my second priority, and God became my third. I worked on my church responsibilities with a half-focused, half-passion.

I've always been one to keep busy so that I don't feel lonely. I need to dismantle the distractions and direct my focus to God and God alone. He is the one who brought me here, He is the one who created me and ordered my steps, and He is the one who is leading me in the path that I should go. No more detours. They are a perfectly painful path laid out by the master schemer, Satan himself. Course we never know the damage that is done until it hits us smack in the face and the wound is created. It's not worth it. As nice as those distractions are, they are temporary and I can't, and won't, allow a temporary trick to interpolate my journey to an infinite destination.

This day, July 23rd, 2014 is the day that I step forward with my hands open wide, stretched toward the creator of my destiny. I will clench control no longer. Bring on the wild ride of His all-powerful, all-inspiring, perfect plan.