Remembering to Go Forward

Yesterday, (Sunday Jan. 8) Linda and I went up to Randolph, Wi. to worship with, and for me to teach, our old congregational community called Randolph Evangelical Free Church. It was such a wonderful experience, even though life has changed for all of us a lot since we were there. We grew up as a young married couple, with young children, while serving pastorally in that church from 1977 to 1988. The eleven years of time cemented some wonderful relationships...people who we loved then, and still continue to love today.
The guy who led the worship: Wayne VanderGalien said it best: "When we said goodbye it was one of the hardest things we all went through and in some ways it would have been easier if it would have been a thousand miles away, but the fact that it was only 60 miles made it much more painful..." (my words)... I agree.
It's now been 18 years since we left, and visiting to teach in that place made it much more palatable, just because of the time lapse.
I spoke on "Remembering to Go Forward", partly reminiscing, partly teaching, out of Deuteronomy 8, where God keeps saying over and over again, "Remember"..."Do Not Forget"...."Remember"...
For me, Randolph has lots of good memories. It's where our family grew up, and although I'm grateful for what they received in their educations through Madison's schools, I know that there was something very simple and very safe about our family in a small town.
Yet, to be honest, I was lost in a wilderness towards the end of my time in leadership there. I think God had placed me there for a season, and for a reason, but in the end, I was very affirming of God's moving.
That's the hard part...I would have loved to move a bunch of the people from that community with me. That can never happen. I went forward, and God proved himself to me, to my family, and to the folks in Randolph over and over again.
Still, it's good to remember...and keep going forward.