More Lucy Than June

January 31st, 2010.

River Church held its first public service!!!!

Thus the reason that I have been (oddly) quiet for a few days. We’re still trying to recuperate up in here.

We had many WONDERFUL friends and family in town, some who stayed with us and some who did not. We also had some surprise visitors from Georgia!!! Our friends the Hardys and the Tates drove into town Saturday and surprised us on Sunday morning.

Of course I cried. Stephen was speechless.

The weekend leading up to Launch Sunday is mostly a blur. Saturday night, the reality of everything hit me and I was knocking things off the kitchen counters in a nervous tizzy while preparing things for the next day.

My friend Shannon hand-perforated 300 communication cards that night. And we drank this particular tea.

Ummm, and it really did help.

Stephen’s alarm went off at 5:30, and I didn’t see him again till after the worship. It took two and a half hours to get everyone left in my house ready to leave. By the time we got into the van with everyone, my friend Katie and I were sweating and out of breath.

My job, for now, on Sunday mornings is children’s area check-in. Wouldn’t you know that one of the two computers decided not to print out labels for check-in tags? Well, at least we had one.

Lori and I both serve in the children’s ministry right now, and since we’re limited on workers, we took turns going into the service. I got to hear the music, and she got to hear the message. Seems pretty appropriate, right? (But I cheated and ran back in at the end of the service to catch the last couple of songs. Shh. Don’t tell.)

It was a PHENOMENAL DAY!!!! The place was just so…alive!!! This will stand out as one of the highlights of my life. For many reasons.

I believe very strongly that God is going to use River Church in big ways to reach Charleston, and although we don’t know what the future holds exactly, we know that it will be all for His Glory.

We told God that we would “do this”, no matter what it cost. And there is no doubt in my heart that this is where He would have our family be.

Sunday morning, while preparing for the service, that old Steven Curtis Chapman song kept running through my head…

Nobody stood and applauded them
So they knew from the start
This road would not lead to fame
All they really knew for sure was Jesus had called to them
He said “Come follow me” and they came
With reckless abandon they came

Empty nets lying there at the waters edge
Told a story that few could believe and none could explain
How some crazy fishermen agreed to go where Jesus lead
With no thought for what they would gain
For Jesus had called them by name and they answered

We will abandon it all for the sake of the call
No other reason at all but the sake of the call
Wholly devoted to live and to die
For the sake of the call

Drawn like the rivers are drawn to the sea
No turning back for the water cannot help but flow
Once we hear the Savior’s call we’ll follow wherever he leads
Because of the love He has shown
And because he has called us to go we will answer

We will abandon it all for the sake of the call
No other reason at all but the sake of the call
Wholly devoted to live and to die

Not for the sake of a creed or a cause
Not for a dream or a promise
Simply because it is Jesus who calls
And if we believe we’ll obey

Moving and leaving everything behind was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. Walking from a life of security into a life of uncertainty has not been without its challenges and trials.

But we have never been more blessed, humbled, and awed by the things that He has done for and around us.