Headed West

It is 4:29 a.m. In thirty one minutes I will be getting the boys up and loading the last of the luggage into my truck. We plan to be on the road by 6:00 a.m. as we follow God west to Seminole. The past week has been emotionally exhausting. There have many tears, well wishes, arguments for us to reconsider, and God’s guidance through the scriptures. We are called to head west. West Texas is home to dust storms, flat ground, sensational sunsets, wonderful people, but more importantly for me it is the home of my destiny.
Soon Brenda, the boys, and I will be pulling out of our drive way onto hwy 114 headed east until we get to FM 51 where we will drive to Weatherford and then connect with I-20 headed west. The boys are dealing with a mixture of excitement and uncertainty about the move. Tanner is more excited because he has been there before. He even remembers a couple of friends he made during our trip there in April. Taylor and Tucker really do not know what to expect. I am so proud of their attitudes about this move. They are committed to following God even though it hurts them to leave their friends.
Some seven and a half hours from now I hope to be rolling into Seminole or be very near there. We will enroll the boys into school this afternoon and later on this evening begin a few days of meeting new people and house shopping. It will be a whirlwind next few days filled with God encounters.
It has not gotten any easier to leave teary eyed beloved sheep in Paradise. The overwhelming majority have been supportive. Some think we are making a terrible mistake. All seem to be grieving on some level over this. I received an email from one of our fire fighters who could not sleep and sent me words of love and support at 2:00 a.m. Last night I taught my third to last time here in Paradise. These people love God’s word. Nobody said following God would be easy.
When we head west we are doing so believing that people in Seminole crave God’s word too. We believe that people in west Texas really want to follow God like we have been called to follow God. I have spent my last couple of days in my prayer time asking God to grant me His vision for FBC Seminole. He hasn’t revealed anything specific to me as of yet but I believe my calling is to west Texas and in time God will show me what He is up to.
In a giant leap of faith we are headed west today. I feel the tug on my heart to go west while also feeling the tug on my heart to express my love to all the people in Paradise who have touched our lives on so many levels over the past four years. In a way it has felt like a tug of war in my soul. I rest in the truth that the God of Paradise is also the God of Seminole. North, South, East, or West, God rules sovereignly over the whole universe.
Today I am called to travel west to follow the Lord. Over the next days, months, and years that calling to follow God might lead me north again for mission work in Canada, or East to Asia to labor for the master on a mission trip to that region. I might be called to travel south to serve the Savior. I am called to follow. Today that means that I am headed west. I am grateful that God will travel with me. He is already at work and dwells in Seminole and will continue to lovingly watch over the people in Paradise.
I grew up in deep east Texas with Pine trees, humidity, ribbon cane syrup, the Lufkin Panthers, and my home place of worship Denman Avenue Baptist Church. I am trading all of that to move further west to vast fields, flat land, wind, friendly folks, and Taco Villa. I am a fan of Taco Villa. I plan on having lunch there today.
Seriously though, if we are committed to being Christ followers we must be willing to follow Him anywhere to do anything. I have preached that message relentlessly. [Matt 16:24]. Now it is time to practice what I preach. It is time to head west.
Now it is 4:51 a.m. It is almost time to rouse my family from their slumber, to finish loading, and turn our steering wheels to head west. See you Seminole in a few hours.