Our Samaria

This is something cool my hubby wrote this summer:


"On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria... Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city." Acts 8:1-8


Here Meg and I are, 2 weeks before we get married and start a new life. Christ has called Meg to uproot from her beloved family and friends, her church family, and her amazing teaching job. I guess you could say that in a way, we have been "scattered" from our homes (me by choice, Meg by association) and will follow God and the Air Force until he opens up another door. We will live a great life, but one of constant change. Moving from place to place, interacting with different people and cultures, joining different churches and ministries. You might say that God will be sending us to "Our Samaria."It is interesting to look at the context of the passage above. A couple thoughts to ponder:

Abundant growth did not occur through comfort. The new Christians didn't settle in their dream house after getting married, but instead God moved the founders of our church through "great persecution." Despite this, none of us want this life. Meg and I desire nothing but to be "happy" and live the good life. I guess there's nothing wrong with this desire. It seems normal to pray for blessing. But maybe God will use our constant moving as an indirect blessing. The military can be difficult; it can bring trials and daily challenges. Meg will serve her country by being a military spouse just as I am by putting my uniform on every day. I hope God will use any challenges to mature us and force us to rely on Him. I hope God will make me a stong enough leader to love my family and constantly point them to Christ...

It seems no one wanted to go to Samaria, but they went by necessity. While there, they "preached the word wherever they went." They proclaimed Jesus Christ and brought "great joy to the city." Manhattan Beach is amazing, but how will Meg and I react if/when God calls us to move somewhere less appealing? What if our next move is to the middle of the Mohave Desert (neither of us really seem to be the desert type)? I hope we can take on each place we live as "our Samaria", boldly proclaiming Christ and the word of God. I hope God will provide these opportunities. I'm excited to have Meg join me as my wife on this journey. She reminds me that this life is not easy for everyone. I do not think this would have been her first choice if she got to choose her path. But it is so encouraging to see her following love and following God--to California and wherever we go next. I know God will use us to shine His light and share His great joy.

Meg's faith and courage will carry her here and this blog will capture our journeys through Samaria. She told me the other night she felt God has been calling her to start a blog for family and friends. I encouraged her to follow His calling. To share our experiences as a living testimony to others. In many ways, we will be missionaries, spreading God's word wherever He takes us.
What is your Samaria? Where has God called you to go and spread His word? Are you recieving your trials and persecution with joy?