I get all kinds of questions asked of me on a daily basis, but one of the questions that I receive often from people of the congregation is ¯ Do you think YOU are going to build a new church?  I have to admit that question makes me snicker, because all I can picture is me walking out to the back forty, dressed in bib overalls, one of those old fashioned sun hats on, with shovel in hand ready to dig a hole. This question is not about me, it’s about us. ¯ Are WE going to build a new church?  is the question.

I, along with everybody else, have struggled with this question. Should we build or shouldn’t we build? I was confirmed here, married here, my girls and granddaughters were baptized here and the list goes on and on and on — these are all my personal feelings and until recently I let those feelings get in the way of making a rational decision.

Little Izzie likes to cuddle with Grandma. She hangs on to her blanket with her little hand, her nook in her mouth and she puts her cheek on my cheek and we rock. While we rock, Grandma sings “Jesus loves me, yes I know, for the Bible tells me so; little ones to him belong, they are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me; yes, Jesus loves me; yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.” When I am done, she looks at me with those big blue eyes, and grandma sings the song again.

During one of those special rocking times I had a God moment — a new church isn’t about me and my personal feelings. WOW, it’s about Little Izzie, Baby Jordan (who grandma will also be singing to) and all the other little ones here at Burke running around. God is entrusting us with their future and He is counting on us to make the right decisions for them. God has blessed us with so many little ones at Burke and if you don’t believe me, take a walk down to the nursery sometime during second service. Our nursery is bursting at the seams. What a wonderful sight to see!

I like things to be about me.  Who doesn’t?  But as I look at my life statistic-wise, it is over half over; my future is pretty well established.  It’s no longer about what I want, but it’s about what is best for the next generation.

I am thankful that so many years ago our ancestors planned for our future when they built the Little Church on the Hill. Now it is time for US to plan for the future for the next generation, and I pray we do as well as they did.  It’s a scary time for all of us, but we are not alone — God is leading!

“Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Cor 15:58

Hugs and Prayers,

Karen