Moving On Always Hurts....

....and I still haven't figured out why. It always seems like the people you think are going to stand by you through anything are the ones who turn away, and the ones that you aren't to sure about are the ones that have your back through the entire thing. So at the same time you get a shock and a surprise. Life is always funny that way. Almost 3 weeks ago we made the decision to leave our church because we felt that the leadership was moving in a way that we did not agree with. We left quietly, not telling anyone except the people in our Life Group who already knew we were struggling. When I sent the email saying we were leaving, I, and my family, immediately lost many things. 1. The church I have called my home for 12 years. 2 The denomination that I have been a part of since birth. We are now going to a church of a different denomination. 3. Trust in people I thought of as close friends. 4. Respect for, and trust in, the leadership of the church mentioned in #1 and the denomination mentioned in #2. 5. My kids lost adults they trusted, friends they have had for awhile and friends they were re-connecting with. Over the past almost three weeks I have felt so alone, and hurt. I know I 'brought it on myself' as I am sure some people have thought. And it was partly because I was naive enough to think that my friends would stand by me, no matter what. Even if we didn't agree. Thankfully there ARE those who have done that, and I am so grateful for that. I love you guys! I have also learned that the saying 'When God closes a door, He opens a window' is very true! We love our new church and at every turn we feel that our decision is being affirmed. God really does have a plan for us, and even though we, in our humanness, cannot see it He has it all worked out. We just need to trust in Him.