Confessions of a pastor:
There are some days that I ask myself, “Molly, what are you doing with your life? Does all this really matter? Churches are in decline throughout the western world, what makes you think that will ever change? Are we really God’s chosen body for the transformation of the world?”
Usually those thoughts creep in when I’m sifting through complex budget reports, working through website updates, or I’ve talked to another couple whose marriage is falling apart and I felt like I had nothing helpful or healing to say. Often these are days when I can’t see the forest for the trees.
Perhaps you have things like this in your life.
What if God came to you on one of those days and said, “Hang tight. Deal with the frustrating things, let go of those you can’t change, and live well where you are. It’s going to be awhile, but I know where you are headed, and I’ve got big, good, hope-filled plans for you.” (see Jeremiah 29:4-14 if you haven’t already)
I would certainly find some true comfort in that. And I’d respond, “Sounds awesome, God. So, when you say awhile, do you mean weeks or months… or what?”
The Hebrew people had 70 years of exile to anticipate and endure. The hope that God (via Jeremiah) offers is hope for the community even more than hope for the individual. It is hope for the children and those children’s children.
In that light, things look a little different. When you reconcile that your family situation may not ever change but there is hope and a good future for the relationships that still exist, things start to look a little different. When you stop focusing on the money that you lost (and may never see again) and trust God in the circumstances you face today, things start to look a little different. When you (I) stop asking “does all this really matter to me?” and start asking “does all this really matter for our children and our children’s children?” things start to look a little different.
I believe that one way or another love wins, hope prevails, and the future is good. That is the gospel, after all.
Rev. Molly Simpson serves as the Campus Pastor of Resurrection West in Olathe.
