I don’t know about you, but for me October signals a natural turning point. I, with gratitude, turn a year older. Fall has begun. I hone in on finishing the year well. I begin to look forward to all that comes in the final quarter of the year. After all, fall festivities, Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. Our family vacation coming up in December (the first in two years!) now seems like a reality. As with each and every eventful season of our lives, our God proves faithful and good. This October in particular will surely bring change for me. My departure from Gospel marks a beautiful end to what has been the honor and privilege of serving alongside a beautiful family of God and an exciting beginning to freely broaden my horizons and potential in the path of ministry the Lord has laid out for my life. With this in mind, I want to share with you a little about just one of the divine appointments I have had, one that served as just one more affirmation from the Lord who makes our paths straight.
Mrs. Denya, in partnership with Youth for Christ, runs a young ladies bible study on Friday mornings with students from Northern High School. As I do, I would pop in unannounced and give them all a good morning scare each week. This eventually turned into a short 10-minute worship session for a couple of weeks. One week, just before music time, I caught the end of their lesson and it has stuck with me. Hear this from a mother who learns a valuable lesson in giving all to God in every moment in this book, What Happens When Young Women Say Yes to God:
“What moments have you had like this? The kind where you are certain that God’s fingerprints are all over them. Live in expectation of experiencing God and hearing His voice. Record these times in a journal. Look for answers to the prayers you’ve prayed and understanding from the steps of obedience and faithfulness God has called you to take. See how he weaves everything together in wonderful ways.”
In this season of change, don’t forget to abide in Christ (John 15) and look for his leading, not neglecting to see the beauty of His purposeful weaving in each of our lives. He’s there, working all to our good. He’s there orchestrating while we are often times unaware. He is good. He is God. He is for us and not against us. He never sleeps or slumbers. He is able.
A HUGE THANK YOU from the Wilson family to each of you who were so generous, kind and supportive during our final days at Gospel!! So many of you wrote cards, called, texted, gave gifts, visited with us, cried with us, rejoiced with us and more. Words just cannot express enough gratitude or reciprocity of love. Another HUGE THANK YOU to all those who put in the work to execute a farewell fellowship! That farewell fellowship was so beautiful and so humbling. I know the work it takes to pull off something like that, and we don’t take it lightly-thank you. I’ll never forget how honored and loved I felt in those moments- thank you. Thank you, church family, for the precious gift of that Martin guitar. It represents so much, not that I intend to idolize an object, but there’s a lot of miles in worship at the church and in the community that I will fondly remember upon every strum. The signatures and notes you all placed on the back are priceless and precious. Love you all!!
Pastor Jason Wilson
