Out from Coushatta

We finish annual conferencing today, and we head off, Mary and I, into our next great adventure. In less than three weeks, two weeks from Tuesday, we move again, this time to the north part of Louisiana.

I have met  literally met 100s of folks who either say they are from Coushatta, out from Coushatta (which means near it in Southeze), or one of many small towns near by it. They all say we will love it "up there." They all say the folks there will love us since my background growing up was much like they say Coushatta is, which is to say rural and lovely. My accent, which never was quite New Orleanian, will sound better up north, they say.

I've prayed hard for the churches I'm going to since the day we were told. I've asked for bunches of prayers for our ministry, for it is mine and Mary's together. I've prayed for our grand children, and for Shanna, our eldest, particularly, since she will be alone again with the two boys with out our help.

But mostly I've prayed that the good people of Coushatta want what all churches really want, which is to bring about transformation of the community for Jesus Christ. That's all I really care about. That's all the past 20 years have been about.

There have been successes. There have been something less than successes sometimes. But always, always it has been about him, not me. I'm such a wounded healer that it could never truly be about me.

But the end of conference is always the beginning of something new. Today we go home to begin the final bout with boxes, the final bit of packing, the final goodbyes to family who will be so far away. We have a couple games left to attend, a baseball camp to get Gabe to, a birthday party for Emma, a final three Sundays, the last of which I will preach our farewell.

Through it all, through it all, God has been large for us. We've never been outside His care. We've never been away from Him, even when we've taken faltering steps as we've lost loved ones.

So, like someone once said, "Bring it on." It's time to be not out from Coushatta, but inside Coushatta. What a wonderful last phase of ministry this is going to be.