Ever since Matt Chandler preached this sermon on September 5, 2010, Evan and I have felt strongly convicted that we needed to leave our home group and start another one. In this sermon, Matt mentions the difference between the "mature herd" and "moron herd." We have been so blessed to be a part of a very mature herd for the past year and a half. Evan had a hand in starting the lovingly named HayHo Homegroup and the people that the Lord brought together were nothing short of exactly what we needed as we were dating, engaged and married. We became such good friends with these people that the idea of splitting off and starting a new group was at first a very scary, uh-uh-no-way kind of idea.
As with most convictions that come from the Holy Spirit, neither one of us could get away from the feeling that we had to leave our HayHo friends or we would be disobedient. This was very cool as a newly married couple to feel the Lord's leading in both our hearts at the same time. I have prayed since that God would continue to speak to us in that way.
In Matt's sermon, he mentioned not going out from a mature group alone, so we started praying about asking a couple from our group to come with us. At the time, it seemed like a no-brainer to ask Anna and Luis Tovar to join us. We also talked to Darrell and Taylor about coming with us because they had felt the same urging from the Lord.
Due to several new situations in the HayHo group (new family dynamics, pregnancies, etc), the make up of the group was different than what it looked like when we decided to leave...new leadership was needed for the HayHo group and the Lord had a very distinct way of showing us all that the Tovars were the couple to take it on.
Awesome for them. Bummer for me and my perfect little plan.
I remember the night the news came out. Anna and Luis were over at our house just hanging out as usual.... but I could tell there was a conversation they wanted to bring up. After they told us they felt like God was telling them to step up and lead, the Lord gave me a very odd sense of peace.
I wasn't panicky or tight fisted. I didn't freak out and try to come up with another option. I just felt like we were all being very grown up and listening carefully to the Lord leading us... unfortunately in different directions.
The two other couples joining us in this endeavor now-- the Lotts and the soon-to-be-married Darrell and Taylor-- are the perfect group of people for us to be doing ministry with. I know I take for granted how blessed we are to have such an abundance of quality, amazing friends around us. My prayer is really that this group will allow other people to experience and be a part of such great Biblical community. We don't want to hog it all!
This whole process of starting a new group has already been a journey of faith and taking risks for me... and we haven't even officially started! Although I can say it often, realizing that I still have so much to learn and so much depth to still discover in my relationship with the Lord is always very humbling.
I read Isaiah 55:8-9 this morning and it feels very fitting:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
This coming Thursday is Group Connect and I am excited to see how God continues to work in my life as He brings people to our group.
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