As Karissa and I anxiously anticipated the adventure of another summer vacation in Maine we never expected that God would use that time to call us in a completely new direction, altering the course and trajectory of our lives…
We were looking forward to spending time outdoors, hiking, fishing, and enjoying every opportunity that Karissa’s family camp provided to rest and recharge from an exciting few years of ministry. There was much to celebrate and we had every intention of returning home refreshed and restored, ready to lead the church that God had graciously entrusted to us.
But God was doing something completely unexpected.
It’s hard, if not impossible, to explain exactly how we experienced God over the course of those ten days. There was never a moment where we heard the unmistakable, audible voice of God. There was certainly no burning bush experience. There was, however, a subtle and persistent prompting of his Spirit.
God began to stir our hearts for the city of Orlando. We knew that the church was losing ground while the city was growing faster than ever. We had been thinking for years that “somebody should do something about it, somebody should plant a church.” It was almost like in those few days, when we stepped away from the busyness and distractions, God was saying “you are somebody, you do something about it.”
At the time it seemed like a crazy idea. Church planting was the one thing Karissa and I insisted we never wanted to do. God was doing something completely unexpected.
It wasn’t until we landed back in Orlando that I worked up the courage to tell Karissa the direction I thought God might be leading. More than anything I hoped, with discernment and wisdom, she would tell me I misunderstood or misinterpreted the promptings of the Spirit.
As we loaded our bags into the car I asked, “How crazy do you think it would be if I told you I thought God was calling us back to Orlando? To plant a church…”
I’ll never forget what she said next, “That doesn’t sound crazy at all. I think that is what God has been telling me all week!”
We went away for a refreshing vacation; God placed a fresh call on our lives!