Despite not seeing a ton of new faces this month, God is strengthening me and helping me grow in necessary areas of my early ministry. Good things are happening here, like meeting three new families at Christmas for Kids, and I am confident that God will continue to bless us.

An interesting thing recently happened to me. I was driving and suddenly thought, “This place is home.” This is significant because for the last I-don’t-know-how-many years, I have always had something different to look forward to. When I was in high school, I looked forward to moving on to college. When I was in college, I looked forward to moving on to the seminary. When I was at the seminary, I looked forward to getting married and getting out of the dorms. Then I looked forward to my vicar year. When I was in my vicar year, I enjoyed working with people and wished I could be serving full-time. When I was at seminary for my last year, I looked forward to receiving my first call.

Now that I’m in my new assignment, it took a while for me to realize that I don’t have to look forward to moving on. In fact, I shouldn’t even be thinking of it. So when I thought, “This place is home,” it was a great thing for me. I love this place and these people, and am happy that I don’t have to look forward to moving on. Here is where God will use me to spread his Word. However, I do have so much to look forward to. So many blessings are already evident here. It is with great joy that I have opportunity to teach 11 adults God’s Word in the Bible information classes and to see how they are growing in faith and in service. God is rationing out those blessings as he sees fit.

Thomas Engelbrecht is pastor at Amazing Grace, South Beloit, Illinois.