Eight churches. Two months. Three thousand and some odd miles traveled across Wyoming. Countless lessons and memories. I would say my Church visits were a success! Proverbs 16:9 ESV says “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Well I made a plan to travel across Wyoming and visit different AG churches, but God took my desire and produced the outcomes written throughout my blog.

When I started on this adventure, I had planned to showcase how different churches operated. I wanted to see what the churches looked like, how they planned out their events, what their worship services looked like, and what messages they taught to their congregations. At the end of this adventure God took that plan and established my steps to show me his goodness, glory, and power. My plan and His steps for my plan worked in unison to create the blog you’re reading today. And I can honestly say it has been one of the best learning experiences of my life. 

And so here I am, at the end of this journey, a brief reprieve until I set out again on a new adventure. But until then, this series wouldn’t be complete without making my last “episode”  about my home church- Glad Tidings Assembly of God.

Church this Sunday was in the park. We had the pavilion set as the stage and everyone grabbed their lawn chairs and gathered round for worship and service. As a bonus we had a free BBQ lunch for everyone in attendance. All of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ were there to welcome me back and it was like no time was lost between us. I missed them all so much and was so happy to be in their company again.

The weather was perfect for church outside. Sunny and warm in the sun, but cool and crisp in the shade. The music was rockin and being outside able to look up into the sky made worship even better knowing I was that much closer to God. 

God came through with answered prayers again as our lead pastor, Mike Walsh, delivered his sermon that morning. Coming back from my church visits, I had some doubts creeping in about whether or not I was truly following God’s will. I’ve enjoyed traveling so much and connecting my readers with the different messages I’ve learned at each church, but is that really what I am being “called” for? I had been asking God to help me with this question. His answer was through Pastor Walsh’s service this Sunday.

Pastor Walsh’s message was about how to know what God’s will is for your life. When I heard Pastor Walsh say this I was like, “Okay God, that’s pretty spot on to my exact question.” God really works fast sometimes. Lol! 

Pastor Walsh spoke about Matthew 6:33 ESV “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” He stated that sometimes we, as humans, make things more difficult than they need to be. He said God did not intend for His will to be so hard to find, nor does He try to hide it from us. Sometimes we are so caught up in looking for “signs” that we forget that the Bible, God’s word, tells us exactly how to find His will for our lives. All we need to do is seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness. 

That seems like an oversimplification, but it’s there in black and white. Just seek God and everything else will fall into place. Pastor Walsh said it something like this. He said, read your Bible, pray, get to know the Lord better and His purpose will be revealed to you. The talents that come naturally to you, the passions that make you joyful? Those come from God too because everything good comes from God. God will use those passions and talents for His will for your life. As long as you are following the commandments and word of God then you can rest assured that you are fulfilling God’s will for your life. It can be as grand as being a preacher on Sunday mornings or as little as greeting your neighbor with a “God Bless you”. 

God is all powerful, and we lowly humans can’t thwart His purpose. Sure, we may take the long way around, but eventually we can choose to see things clearly and work in harmony with God’s will for our life. 

This was the perfect message for me to hear this Sunday. And God is so gracious to answer me so clearly. I can definitely be one of those people who tries to make a mountain out of a molehill and look for grand signs in the sky. But I’m learning to take God at His word. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3: 5-6 ESV.

I love Jesus. I love to write. This blog seems to be a good fit for my purpose right now. I will continue to seek Jesus daily. If you are struggling in seeing a purpose for your life at the moment, I encourage you to open your Bible, even if it’s just a couple of minutes a day. Talk to God like you would a friend. Use your talents to glorify Him. These seem like such simple tasks, and they are. God isn’t trying to hide or deceive us. He is the God of everything good. Let it be that simple. Seek God daily and the rest will fall into place.

 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” Matthew 16:26