You CAN go back again

My family and I have been vacationing in our former home of Bangkok. We've revisited the church I pastored. We've reconnected with friends. We've been to the old sites. I've run the old routes. The pic is from outside my old house.

And what I know for sure is that you CAN go back again. The thing you have to remember is... what once was, is no longer.

The house has a new family. The restaurants have changed. The congregation is not the same people. Or even the people who are the same are not as they were.

Why?

Because people grow. We grow. They grow.

If you can appreciate the changes. Cheer them on. And be happy rediscovering a place. Jump in for the ride.

If you have a tendency towards bitterness or stagnation - you might want to be careful. You'll be in for great disappointment.

It has been wonderful so far this week to see how God continues to shape my old church and the people that make it up (new and old) in wonderful ways. There are new challenges. New opportunities. And a few things stayed the same.