To me, the worst part of something good is the end. There have only been a few great books that I can honestly say should never have ended. Anderson Cooper's Dispatches From the Edge and almost anything Dan Brown has written will always be on my list of books like that. All the great elements of substance and technique combine to form what seems to be the perfect world, even if the stories describe a less than perfect world. I'm starting to think that way about Lost, too. I can't imagine having to say goodbye to Jack, Kate, John, Sawyer, et al. I just don't want to do it, but I know that it will soon happen.
All of that to say this: Karen and I are nervously excited to announce that we will be moving to the next phase of our life together beginning March 1st. I have accepted a position with the Kingwood Heights church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. As the new associate minister I will be spearheading the new small groups and local evangelism ministries to help connect that congregation both internally and externally. It's a big job and a big move and we are ready to grasp it with open arms.
The peripherals will be wonderful. Not only will we be working with a wonderful group of friends, but we will soon be able to begin more grad' work, Karen on her PNP, and I on my Ph.D. Also, we will be in a far more centrally located place in regards to all of our family members.
Yes, it seems as if this is going to be a move that is as close to perfect as is possible, but there is at least one down side: leaving Florence and the Macedonia church.
Karen has lived in Florence all of her life. Even during her brief stint at Freed-Hardeman University she was home almost every weekend. In fact, when we married in 2003, I helped her move out of the very room she occupied when she was an infant. Macedonia taught her about her God and helped her become the incredible woman she is today. She's watched it grow, split, grow, split, move, split, and grow again. She's seen the world and brought the hope within to people in that world through several mission trips that were based out of the Macedonia congregation. She also married her husband (that's me) in the very sanctuary in which we worship every Sunday there at Macedonia.
For me, I've never lived in one place as long as I have lived in Florence. It's become a home to me. I love going to places all around this county and knowing names and faces who know me. I love going to Macedonia and feeling as if I am a part of a family. I love standing on the stage in the sanctuary and leading my friends in worship. I love knowing that the very place I stand is the spot on which I vowed to my wife that I will love her as Jesus loved his people.
While we appreciate the experience that we've had with Macedonia, we know that it's time to move on and create new experiences with our new family at Kingwood. Macedonia has been an incredible story that we wish didn't have to end, but just like any great book or story, if you don't allow the end to take place when it's necessary then you'll never discover that there's another book or story that will leave you with the same feeling.
Who knows? Maybe this next story will be the one that doesn't need to end.
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Good stories are hard to beat and harder to let go. I believe stories, good or bad, never really end. We may stop talking about them, but their impact and influence go on for generations. The legacy you and Karen are leaving behind will be told for years to come. Your future in Tennessee will be bright and your story will just get better.
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