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Confessions of a Church Planting Wife (Part 1)

Here we go.  It’s time to be really honest. . .Church planting was NEVER my plan. 

My parents are of the generation where you move through the stages of higher education, Master’s degree’s, consistent and stable paychecks with regular raises and 401K’s in anticipation of retirement at 60. . .the American Dream, the good life.  This is what I learned growing up.  And THIS was my plan.  It’s served my parents well and I liked it a lot.  But somehow I made it past the Master’s degree step and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, “the plan” got turned upside down.  I didn’t see it coming.  Enter church planting. . .

Do you want to know one of the most unsettling things you can tell a woman who values stability?  Tell her that you think God is calling you to take her and your newborn baby 1200 miles away from family to start a church with no team and most of all, NO MONEY, in the most spiritually dry place in the nation.  Now that’s freaky!  I thank God every single day that he allowed me to feel the call as strongly as Kevin or I probably wouldn’t be here writing this today.

When we started this adventure I had no idea what I was doing.  I know now this was a blessing in disguise.  I’m so thankful for the level of niavety and “foolishness” I had back then that allowed me to so unreservedly jump out into God’s will.  I knew we were taking a leap of faith, but I’m ashamed to admit had I known how giant that leap was about to be, I may have quickly run for cover.  And I don’t say these things to scare you.  I say these things to simply let you know this. . .church planting has been exhilarating and exhausting, freeing and terrifying, the best thing I’ve ever done and still one of the scariest.  Every single step is so worth it.  I’ve gotten used to it all - the crazy hours, the hard work, the ups and downs.  But I still can’t get used to the finances.  They still freak me out!!

But as I sit here freaked out even this morning, somehow I breath peacefully in the freakiness.  Six years into the adventure, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Because, you see, I have this rolodex of memories in my mind now of all the times that God has so miraculously provided.  I have these beautiful memories of God showing his goodness to us in the middle of our faithfulness.  I could tell you story after story of how every bill has been paid, how we have been given anonymous money in large sums just when we were at our wits end, how God provided a home for us when we couldn’t imagine being able to purchase one.  The list goes on and on. 

And here is the last confession. . .I’ve even gotten to the point of “freaked out” today.  There is only about $100 left in the checking account and even though the logical part of my brain wants to somehow flip out and scramble for answers to the provision, the “God” part of my brain is grinning, just waiting to see what God is going to do next.  Sure, I freak out.  I freak out plenty about the $$.  But I know now that God is fully in control.  He’s taught me lots of great lessons.  Most of all, I realize now that he chooses to keep me on the edge of my seat about this area of life because he knows it’s what really gets my attention.  And what does that do?  It turns my heart and trust towards him every time.

What does God do to keep you on the edge of your seat, trusting him?    

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posted by Amy Colón
To continue to connect even more, check out the church planting wives group on Facebook