“May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance”
2 Thessalonians 3:5
This beautiful verse has been a prayer in my own life and has spilled over in petition for others, too. What needed encouragement there is in those words! In recent days, this whispered prayer has bloomed in a very sweet way for us Pichura’s.
As many of you know, we have been seeking a new ministry for many months. Throughout those months, there has been a need for endurance…for perseverance even when we couldn’t see what God was doing and the uncertainty weighed heavy. Yet, as we fixed our eyes on Christ, we were quickly reminded that He endured far more than a season of waiting…He endured the cross, suffered and died so that we might have eternal life. He endured for the joy that was set before Him, and we have the privilege of walking in His footsteps, enabled by His sufficient grace to endure whatever He calls us to: big or small. He gave us His endurance and we are so thankful for His grace.
Throughout this process the Lord also reminded us that “He did not even spare his own Son but offered him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?” (Romans 8:32) This is the love He has for us. This is the hope we have. If God was willing to kill His own Son so that we might be rescued from hell…then He will give us what is best each and every day…what is for our good and brings Him glory. We can barely begin to grasp the depth of his love…but our hearts have seen glimpses and we are in awe!
In His love, He has given us a new ministry!! August 1st we will leave Canada and begin making our way to Huron, South Dakota where Bryan will serve as an associate pastor. It was a true blessing to begin to get to know the body at Mt. Olivet over the two weekends we spent there. They love the Word of God, uphold it’s authority and want to honor the Lord in what they say and do. We were so thankful for their testimonies of sacrifice, their spirit of love for each other, and the way they welcomed us in….in honesty and transparency.
Of course, to say “hello” to Mt. Olivet also means to say goodbye to our church family here, and the tears have come easy this past week. They’ve come easy because we have loved and been loved deeply. We are saying goodbye to those with whom we laughed together, cried together and grown in Christ together. They are comfortable, familiar and so very dear…they are family. They love Jesus, they love His Word and they want to be like Him and we’ve had the gift of linking arms together to “grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ” (Eph. 4:15). It creates bonds that truly are eternal and, therefore, painful to lose…even if it be only till Heaven.
This move is beautiful and painful all at the same time…and we are so very thankful for the Lord’s goodness and provision through it all. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for the ways you have expressed care. We are so very thankful that God has seen fit to keep these “jars of clay” serving full-time in the local church! To Him alone be the glory forever!
“Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements and untraceable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:33-36
Comments