"Go, plant seeds, then you'll return..." That's what the Lord said when we asked about moving to Lynchburg, Virginia. This set my heart at ease for the move from the State I dearly loved, but I anticipated the return being 40 years down the road or when Jesus returned to make all things new. Turns out 4 years is what God had in mind. Lori has accepted a faculty position with the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, her DPT alma mater. It's a bitter-sweet moment for us. Much more so than our move to Virginia.

Bitter-sweet, I think, gets over used these days much like the words “awesome” and “epic”. Like a sweet-n-sour piece of candy, our exposure to the technological advances and busyness of our time, desensitize our true feelings to the mere reaction we get from a momentary pass of the taste buds.

Bitter is grief. Sweet is excited anticipation. These two, really are completely different and for the mind, have no place together. However, it’s “awesome” what Jesus can be for the heart when you let Him.

Our move to Virginia, has turned out to be the hardest four years of our lives. We were so ready for this adventure, but honestly, had we known then how hard it would be, no way would we have come. Were it not for Jesus, there’s no way our marriage would have survived this move. In fact, it’s not only what we’ve gone through in the last four years here, but the previous four in Arkansas that prepared us for the rocky road this has been. Those years were not years of strengthening, but rather weakening. Weakening of our dependence on ourselves, on each other, and our abilities to get things done.

Lori and I are both first born children in families that git’er done. Self-made, didn’t have much, pull yourself up by the bootstraps, “I’ll show you,” sort of people. Great for the story of American independence. Horrible for the Larger story of the Kingdom of Heaven.

“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10

This is also why the last four years have been the best years of our lives and we are now so thankful for our time here. We have been so completely undone, from living in basements, to doors closing left and right for work for me, to our house in Arkansas taking a year and a half to sell, to Jacob’s accident that should have taken his life, but only broke his leg. All of which had led us to being bankrupt…physically, spiritually, and financially. In all of this, Jesus has shown up and taken both of us back into our stories in powerful ways. In ways only He can. He has allowed and used all of these events to expose our weaknesses…the very places in us He’s seeking to make strong. The only thing we have done is made the choice to let Him into them. This is how He heals. Through these, He has made us strong.

When I say strong, I don’t want to imply some stoic, mature, strength. I mean like young kids, strong and confident in their dreams and perfect provision and love of their Mom and Dad. Now we’re getting to grow up again with healed hearts in these places. We’re growing up in the Kingdom. When Jesus sent out the twelve, He told them to declare, “…The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand…” Matthew 10:7. If it was at hand then, it’s at hand now, therefore, I’m confident this healing and “growing up again” is what Jesus said when speaking of becoming like a child.

In regards to what I’ve been doing with my education, and with resetting our family to be centered on Christ alone, it’s a process…growing up again. God has called me to ministry, but being a git’er done kind of guy, He’s taken me away from doing...pretty much anything. This hasn’t made much sense to anyone. I’m often left scratching my head too, but when asked what in the world I’m doing, I’ve quoted Abraham Lincoln.

Followed by, “Right now, I’m sharpening the axe.” For me, the hours have been years.

We’ve made friends for eternity here. We’ve done what God initially instructed and planted seeds. Despite the many accomplishments I’ve had previously in my professional career, my greatest and most humbling achievement was the opportunity to help lead a beautiful heart to Jesus and baptize her in a lake this past Easter.

The process of all of this remodeling of our hearts has been manifested in a physical parallel of our remodeling a 100+ year old Virginia farmhouse. There will be a future post on the parable of this house in relation to the restoration of one’s heart…stay tuned.  

To be completely honest, I didn’t want Lori to accept the position. Many days of tears and prayer followed the offer. I’m almost done with the restoration of this farmhouse. We’re poised to truly LIVE here. We’re making progress in seed sowing, both in ministry and in the physical therapy profession. The visions of ministry we have were beginning to really take root. We’re beginning to see fruit. This farmhouse is my masterpiece. It’s a safe and vibrant place where I want to raise my kids. Do I really want to just walk away from it when it’s done, not to mention the relationships with students and friends? NO! But, I want to follow God more.

This won’t be the first time we’ve moved into Conway with little to no capability to make things happen on our own. This time, however, we get to do it with healed hearts. We still have the ability to make things happen, but it’s our motives that are completely different. We’re not seeking validation, or to make names for ourselves, but rather to offer our value, to inspire and empower, and help others find true healing spiritually, emotionally, and physically that is so completely available.  

We are grieving the loss of the life here. Grieving moving away from our neighbors who have become our family. Grieving the relationships that were growing beyond the surface. Grieving the impact we were able to have with students so thirsty to know as much about life as the musculoskeletal system. Grieving the impact they have on us! We truly do love this place and its people. This is why it’s bitter. This is why grieving is good. When you let Jesus into your grief, it’s holy, and it’s necessary for healing. This allows for the trueness of the sweet.

We’re excited with great anticipation for what is to come. God brought us to Virginia to strip away our identities as Arkansans to fully embrace our identities as citizens of Heaven. The vision of Revealed Image Ministries has been with us for 8 years. The name for 4. I first wanted to call what God had planted within us Arkansas Wilderness Ministries. However, what God has called us to, isn’t tied to a State. It’s tied to the Kingdom. The name He revealed to Lori only after we had moved to Virginia. We’ve been sharpening the axe, and now we're excited to begin to rebuild!