The End of a Chapter and the Beginning of a New One

For those who may note have heard yet, yesterday was the close of a chapter in my life. I am being... no, wait, past tense... I have been called out from the church I have been a part of for 12 years.

If I had a dime every time someone has asked me "are you leaving too" over the past 6 years... But God has been very specific these past 6 years that He had a plan and I needed to obey. My life is so invested in this body called Two Rivers. First as "just a member" then as a staff member then as a passionate worshipper. The person I came to Two Rivers as and the person I am now, well, they don't even compare. God is faithful. This I know to be true.

Last November, God gave me a very specific word for where I am right now. I didn't realize it at the time though because it really didn't make much sense at the time. I wasn't sure then what it meant. Now I am.

Fast forward to the past few weeks. As you know, God has called the Mann family out from Two Rivers after 9 years (for those who don't know who this is, Mike Mann is one of the ministers that I worked for while at TR). These circumstances to which this is happening are overwhelming. This is a man that I have had the honor of serving with for 9 years. Yeah, overwhelming would be the word.

Back in November, I was at a prayer time where we were reading in Joshua 1. This is where it talks about when Moses died, Joshua was told by God that he could cross the Jordan and take the nation of Israel into the land that God had promised. However, what I heard was when Moses was gone, Joshua was released. While this was being read, I kept “hearing” over and over “Mike is your Moses”. At the time, I was so desperate to hear something... anything... that I questioned if I understood what this really meant. Mike at that time had no idea he would be leaving. So I really just didn't understand. I continued to pray and thought, "well, I'll just let this lay and when the time comes, my spirit will know."

A few weeks ago when Mike shared with me the circumstances of his resignation and the future God had for his family, this word from last November was the first thing to come to mind. And I am confident that the word I got last November is my word for this time. So yesterday, May 31, was my last Sunday at TR. God has released me.

So many emotions. 12 years of my life where I have poured my heart, soul and everything into this body. So many memories. So many emotions. But there is a confidence I have that God has released me from TR. I don’t even know where to begin to process all that God has done and all the memories I have that are connected to the people that have been placed on this leg of the journey with me. And what that means for my future. I have no idea where I will go or what I will do. I’ve been in Nashville for 18 years and it’s hard to remember anything before TR.

To each of you who have crossed my path during my time at TR, thank you for your part in loving me, encouraging me, holding me accountable, laughing and crying with me… again, so many memories. There’s not a single spot in that building that I can’t walk and have some memory wash over me. All of these memories and the connection that each of you have in my life have played a role in the person that God has molded me to be today.

Psalm 27:13 “I would have lost heart unless I had believe that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” I have had the privilege of seeing the goodness of the Lord in each of you. And it has changed me. Thank you.