Enjoying the Rest

I've been unemployed for 3 weeks now. I've spent the time several ways.

First, I've spent a lot of time networking letting friends and family know what's happened and asking them to keep their eyes and ears open for me. We have always sought God's will for our lives and we're not changing that.

Second, my wife and I are considering all our options. At this point we are in no hurry to make a decision. That hasn't been too hard regarding a different ministry because there's not a lot of options there at this point. While our emphasis may change, we are concentrating our search west of the Rockies. Our son and his family recently moved west and they are not anxious to see us relocate across the country. Should God open an obvious door we will, of course, reconsider. Another option is semi-retirement. We would both continue to work some to maintain a positive cash flow. I currently have some on-line teaching and I am interested to see if there are other opportunities for that sort of work. So, I've been sending out resumes, spending time in prayer, and discussing other opportunities.

Third, I've been getting a lot of rest. Frankly, I found I needed it. The months spent at CCV were stressful and tiring. That fact alone should have revealed to me I was "out of my element."

Fourth, I've been writing. A few years ago I wrote a history of the early church for Moriah School of Ministry in Australia. I used it here in the states in my training class in Canton and in the church history class I taught at CCV before I went on staff. Now I'm writing the history of the later church. My overarching thesis is that most changes in Christ's church result from unintended consequences rather than overt efforts to pervert it. Satan had his plan, to be sure, but the human element involved is just that--human effort to do the right thing with unintended consequences. There are exceptions and these exceptions prove the rule.

In the process, then, of waiting on God I've kept busy doing my part.