Are We Nuts?

Seriously, have we lost our marbles?  Do we have a screw lose?  Are we one off our rockers?  I could go on with all the many idioms there are for being seriously crazy.  Take a look at what I mean.

Our home in Hampden, ME

In 2010:

• We lived in a beautiful 2400 square foot house with hardwood floors and a newly remodelled kitchen, a new roof and a new septic system.  It was nestled in the woods overlooking the water.  In the winter, we could see the Coast Guard ice breaker maneuver its way through the ice up to the Bangor harbor.  It felt like it was in the country, but it was only a mile from the grocery store and post office, and only three miles from church. 
• We received a weekly paycheck from a faithful congregation who made sure that we were well cared-for.
• Our lives intertwined with a community of people we had come to know and love.
• We had a neighbor I had come to know and love who had ties to Indonesia, my birthplace.
• We took a missions trip to the Dominican Republic.

In other words, we had it made.

In 2011,

• We were no longer homeowners.  We sold our home, put the money in the bank and moved through a series of short-term residences.
• Charlie stepped down from being the pastor of our dearly loved church.
• We began to visit many churches in Maine to explain to them our vision of going to foreign countries to be part of a teaching team in various colleges and seminaries.

Our previously "stable" life was gone.  How exciting!

Or are we nuts?  Unstable?  Looney?  Batty?  Insane?

The wedding in CT where Charlie officiated.

In 2012,

•  We have already travelled thousands of miles, visiting Connecticut, Virginia, South Carolina and Florida.
• We will be traveling at least 5500 miles in the next two months. 
• We are planning to go to Guatemala in July. 
• From where we are right now, it looks like our expenses will likely exceed our income. 
• It's a good thing we are trusting the One who owns the wealth of every nation.

Or are we nuts?  Delusional?  Bonkers?  Touched in the head?

Sometimes when I look at the facts, I just laugh.  We are crazy! 

But it's so much fun to depend on the Almighty God and to know that He is the One who will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Since He is the One who called us into this ministry, He will provide for us. 

Our current residence - my parents' home in Georgia.

To be honest, however, the financial needs we have are great, but they are certainly not the greatest needs we have right now.  We need God to work in people's hearts when Charlie preaches.  We need to see Him at work when we're out visiting people.  We need His grace to be evident in our lives.  We need to be faithful testimonies to His power, grace, and love.  In short, we need Him.


Are we nuts?  Psychotic?  Out to lunch?  Unhinged?

The world around us would probably say we are.  If we are, I hope we are crazy enough to believe in our awesome, wonderful God who will take our craziness and use it for His eternal glory.