My husband, Griffin, and I just packed up and moved across country from the green hills of Missouri to the dry desert of Arizona. Griffin recently accepted the position as District Youth Director for the Arizona District Council of the Assemblies of God Arizona. Seriously an honor! Basically his job is to help equip, lead, and resource all of the AG youth pastors throughout AZ. We also will be leading and planning youth events throughout the year such as fine arts, summer camps, & fall convention. The previous DYD was in this position for 13 years and did an incredible job! And the DYD before him was my husband’s father, Mark McGrath. Also, my dad was the DYD for Nebraska a few years ago, so we are keeping things in the family business I guess you could say. It’s cool how God has brought this around full circle.
Along with this awesome opportunity comes great opposition and difficult decisions. We obviously had to move to AZ, away from my family, away from our amazing church, away from our friends, and away from our life! My family has been in MO for over 8 years now, and it’s also where Griffin and I got married and have been building our life together over the past two years. My perfect little niece and nephew are also back in MO, and it’s honestly the hardest thing being away from them. I miss them like crazy already! My sister and I have become so close over the years, and, my goodness, I miss her a ton too! As well as my amazing parents and two brothers… I cannot explain how much I miss them.
I truly can’t put into words how horrible of a feeling I had leaving my family. It is the number one hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life thus far. I have never been more than 45 minutes away from my family, so maybe that can help you understand where I’m coming from.
Although there is pain leaving them, there is also such great joy and excitement for Griffin and my new chapter! I’m really excited to be away from the cold weather for sure, but it’s also great because we are close to my husband’s family now, as well as some other friends. God has given both Griffin and me such peace about moving, and He has been setting us up for this, I believe, since the beginning… as in, the beginning of time! We know without a shadow of doubt that God has specifically called us to this very position at this very moment. That being said, God has put some things into perspective for me these past few months. Honestly, I had become jealous of other families in ministry of which the whole family gets to be together. For example, the parents are the pastors of a church, and the son in the youth pastor, and the daughter is the children’s pastor, etc. And they all lived happily ever after. Ok, so I’m not saying they are wrong… not at all! I believe they are extremely blessed to be exactly where God wants them and also be close to their family. However, that is not what God has called Griffin and me to do. At least not now. But I have really been reminded of what we are on this earth for. Our purpose on this earth is to be witnesses for Jesus Christ! It is not to stay in our comfort zone and have the perfect life with our money and family always beside us, but it’s to save the lost! Wow! As much as I love my family, they are not my first priority in life. God is! With this, I am encouraged by these verses:
Matthew 10:37-39 ESV
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
On the outside, it may not sound like an encouraging verse, however, when you understand God’s perfect love, you understand the truth in this passage. I think it’s a challenge, but also encouraging to me during this transition.
My mom also sent me a verse a few days after we moved.
Genesis 31:49 NIV
“It was also called Mizpah (Mizpah means watchtower), because he said, ‘May The Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other.’ “
Though God does not want us to put our family or anything else before Him, He still cares about our pain that we go through. God still cares about me, and He is keeping watch over my family and I while we are away. I hope this is encouraging to you, and please know that God cares about you!X O X O Bethany
Bethany,
I totally understand where you are coming from. The distance, when you are as close as your are to your family, is the hardest. You are handling it so much better than I did. I can honestly say the years I have been away and a little out of my “safe” comfort zone is where I believe God has helped me grow as an individual, wife and someday a mom. I have learned more about myself without all of these things that I was so used to. God knows what he is doing, such a cool time in your guys life! Soak it up, as you guys will, and God knows the desires of your heart. I give it 2 years and your fam may be making there way to good ole AZ too, haha! So excited for you!
Blair
Thank you, Blair! Hopefully your 2 year prediction is correct. :) I would love my family to be here someday.
Bethany