Brenda, I would have jumped to the same conclusion too about that the white van driving by just as your hubby was asking God for a sign...if that wasn't "God-incidence", what is?! Sometimes the answers come by way of a series of stepping stones which ultimately lead to the ultimate answer we are looking for. Maybe this is the case, where this church served a needed purpose in your life for that length of time, but now it's time to move on to the next stepping stone to the church that will either be your "home church" or lead to the next stepping stone.

It's frustrating being a pilgrim, especially when we hunger for a community that feels like home for our souls. Unfortunately, no congregation will ever be perfect, and no church will ever be without its share of dark corners. Something I read in an Ann Lander's column way back in the 1970's has often helped me when I've been faced with frustrating situations and people in the church...she suggested that the church was never meant to be "a hotel for saints, but a hospital for sinners." Personally, it has always given me hope that there might even be room for me within that definition of church.

[ August 30, 2005, 08:45 PM: Message edited by: Eagle Heart ]