Milestone!

Sunday was a special day in the life of our family. My husband was officially ordained to ministry.

I can absolutely see how this is what God always had in mind for him; from his specific spiritual gifting to his ability to conmect with people in his curiously congenial yet direct demeanor, my husband is uniquely-suited to vocational ministry.

Listening to my husband give his testimony and recount his call to ministry was one of the most encouraging and emotional moments I’ve experienced. And that is saying something because I’m an emotional mess of pregnancy hormones right now.

It wasn’t the words spoken by my husband or the words spoken on his behalf. It was the symbolism of obedience that the service represented. 5 years. It has been 5 years since my husband first endeavored to change his major and obediently pursue Christ in biblical studies and seminary. It has been 9 years since God placed us 2500 miles apart and reminded us both of our salvation in Christ and that He could be our only answer, our only hope, our only One…apart from Christ we were nothing; we had nothing.

I was overwhelmed by God’s mercy and grace in leading us to this point.

Looking back, I see all the ways we “pulled an Israel” and did some wandering around the metaphorical desert for 40 years. Okay, maybe not literally 40 years, but we definitely delayed what God had in mind to do in and through us and Sunday morning, when I read the bulletin and saw “Rev. Mitchell Elston” I bawled because I know we are now where we are supposed to be in His plan for us.

God had to take us through some really concentrated and intense periods of refinement to strip away our sinfulness, pride, and obstinate disobedience.

But praise God that in His mercy, He never left or forsook us. And all of that time, all of the tears, all of the painful loneliness, all of the hardship and struggle- all of it is laid at the feet of Jesus as my husband accepted the call to serve Christ with his whole life above anything else. To God be the glory, honor, and praise!

Amen!