When we first moved to this little, rural, inconvenient town our thoughts were that we would be doing good if we could stay here five years. After that period of time, we imagined we would be at a good point in our lives age-wise and career-experience wise to then move on to our long term goal of the bigger and better place where we wanted to spend the rest of our lives. We saw this place as the means to that end. A not-so-attractive-but-necessary step to somewhere else. Dues, I guess you could call it.
Plus, these days and for the job my husband has, five years is about the average length to stay in one location. Eight or nine years is exceptional. He’s a minister in a Baptist church.
Yesterday marked his twelfth anniversary here.
Wow. Twelve years. Have we really been here that long?!
How significant is twelve?
Well, there are twelve days of Christmas.
Doughnuts come in dozens. Scott likes doughnuts.
Eggs come in cartons of twelve. Scott likes eggs too, especially when they’re used to make cakes and assorted baked goods. (do you need eggs to make doughnuts?).
The number is used fairly often in the Bible too:
12 sons
12 stones
12 brothers
12 pillars
12 springs of water
12 tribes
12 disciples
12 years of bleeding
12 baskets of food leftovers
Just to name a few. There are more references to 12 cubits, 12 thrones, 12 stars, 12 angels; it goes on and on.
I’m not sure what it means that we have managed to out-last our plans for ths place. Some days I’ve felt the stones and the bleeding. Some days have brought bountiful leftovers and life flowing like cool springs of water. None of it was planned, at least not by us anyway.
God brought us here. He’s the one that has kept us here too. We certainly couldn’t and wouldn’t have done it on our own. So, I’m not really making any more plans conerning the next twelve years. I’m leaving that up to God. I’ll stay until He says go. We are, after all, less than an hour from the nearest Dunkin Donuts. A dozen of those every now and then will help sweeten the wait. I don't think there will be twelve basketfuls leftover, though.
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
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2 comments:
Sounds like you are just where God wants you to be! :)
great post. i love that scripture verse. being in the ministry, its a good one to live by. i don't even try to make any plans for where we'll be in the future, because i know God is in control of where he'll want us to serve. its a wonderful peace knowing God already has a plan and you don't have to try to figure out your future on your own
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