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  We started Cool River Church back in 2002.  Both my husband and I were very young and we were completely running on the adrenaline of leaping into a new adventure together.  I didn’t even need Starbucks back then to provide my jump start to the day.  And looking back, I see that initial adrenaline rush was actually somewhat sustaining for the first leg of the church planting journey.  Dreams and vision and the desire to “make it happen” really do provide a lot of fuel at first. 

I also remember how I was such a young mom during those days.  We had a 2 year old, a 6 month old and only about a year into it we found ourselves expecting #3.  I was in mommy mode constantly.  And in all honesty, so much of our first days of planting are quite a blur.  I remember the BIG moments - the markers that propelled us to where we are today.  But most of all I remember chasing kids.  I remember sitting up chairs at the school with baby #3 in a baby backpack while the other two cried or disappeared into the depths of the school, thus prompting an all out search from the entire setup team.  I quickly became the queen of getting three little ones to church on my own.  Potty training and dirty faces, nap time and trips to the zoo were typically the events that seemed to fill my days as Kevin did his thing and worked so hard to put roots in the ground for the Kingdom and the church in our community.  I had friends and I built relationships and I did all of those hospitable things like get the house clean for small groups, but I’m here to tell you that the mommy card trumped the church planting wife card many more days than not.  Looking back, I think my role was much more about holding us all together in the middle of starting a church than the actual act of starting the church itself.

Today life is different.  The adrenaline rushes seem to come and go instead of come and stay.  The new adventure we journeyed into has become our life.  It’s an amazing life.  The flow is more constant.  The days have become more predictable.  We are exactly where God wants us to be.  We have made this place out home. . .the kids are older (now 9, 7 and 5).  And though I still live in mommy mode most of the time, it’s different.  The girls can wipe themselves and make their own breakfast and play on the computer, read and pretend and play outside with their friends.  And now for the first time in this journey I find myself with the opportunity to discover ME in the middle of church starting. 

You see, I still consider us to be in the throws of church planting.  We are more stable now. . .but even that comes with it’s own set on new challenges every day.  We still meet in a school.  We still set up every Sunday.  MUCH still looks the same.  Yet, MUCH has changed.  I have changed. 

What sustains me now?  Not adrenaline. . .Coffee!  hehe Seriously, now I finally have time to sustain myself in having meaningful time with God that I never seemed to master as a young mommy.  I sustain myself with exercise. . .lots and lots of exercise.  It just makes me mentally and physically more confident.  I sustain myself by being with friends and truly sharing life together instead of spending every conversation talking about teething and sleepless nights and soy vs. milk formula.  I sustain myself by truly enjoying my kids instead of just keeping them alive another day.  I sustain myself by resting, by sitting outside with Kevin and enjoying a quiet evening, by reading a good fiction book instead of feeling like I had to make every moment of reading count since the quiet moments were so few and far between.  (I used to only read to learn).  I finally have time to think about me.  And it’s the first time I think I have had the opportunity to really invest in the people and flow of Cool River.  And it’s becoming a pretty fun experience.

So, to all of you young moms out there jumping into this church planting thing. . . I just want to encourage you today to embrace where you are, whatever stage it may be.  Be faithful with what is in front of you today.  Resist the temptation to feel guilty for not being able to do more.  Take care of your family.  For your day WILL come.  Some day you will have the time to lead a small group.  Some day you will have a meaningful conversation with an adult.  Some day you will get to take a nap.  Some day you won’t have to go to the McDonald’s play place.  Some day you will make it to the gym.  Some day will come faster than you ever thought it could.  Enjoy your today. . .tomorrow will be another new and different chapter.  If you just let him, God will sustain you through it all.

So, ladies, what sustains you today?
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posted by Amy Colón
To continue to connect even more, check out the church planting wives group on Facebook