Mixed Emotions

[From January 30, 2016]

"So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy..."

(Matthew 28:8)

On that very first Easter morning, two women came to Jesus' tomb expecting to find a body.  It wasn't there.  Instead, they found an angel who told them two things: 1) "Don't be afraid!", 2) "Go tell the disciples that Jesus is risen, and he will meet you in Galilee!"  Matthew tells us that they left "with fear and great joy."  So they were excited, but also afraid.  Interesting that they'd have these seemingly opposite emotions.  We often feel like we need to be 100% behind something to support it, don't we?  This may provide another model for us.

We have a property we've purchased here at Palmdale United Methodist Church.  15 acres.  We still owe about $700K on that loan.  We can't start building anything on it until we pay that off first.  I'm new to the church.  It wasn't my vision to buy the land.  But it is exciting to think about what could become of it!  Then again, $700K is a LOT of money.  I'm honestly a bit worried about how we'll get all that money.  And yet, I'm excited about the possibility.  Could it be that Jesus will meet me "in Galilee" (ie. somewhere in this in-between set of feelings and emotions I have?)  Maybe I don't have to be 100% sure of where the funding will come from before I set out in faith!??!

PRAYER: "Fear and great joy."  I definitely have that, Lord!  Thank you for calling me to Palmdale UMC.  It's definitely outside my comfort zone when it comes to raising this kind of money.  But with you, all things are possible.  So shepherd me as I walk with you through this.  Don't let my fear overtake your call on my life and the life of this church.  AMEN.