The Unfathomable Grace of God

We’ve been empty nesters for a while now. Sold our business last June. Sold hunting property right after Christmas. We thought to move. A new home, a fresh start. We’ve wanted to do something just the two of us. Together. He ran the company, he hunted the property. We were hungry to run and hunt as one.

Easier said than done.

 We’re very different people. I’m a thinker, he’s a doer. He’s a talker, I’m a writer. 

We started scrolling for property. Questioning real estate agents. Covering Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, even as far as Colorado. Every day we searched, shared, compared. Felt like we’d already moved 15 times. We couldn’t agree. Not in an arguing way—but a this isn’t working way. So we put all plans away and took a vacation from thinking.

Minding my own business, I opened Ann Voskamp’s family video she broadcasted in honor of her new book, Waymaker. It was the episode about finding an old stone church for sale. Wanting to bring this landmark back to life, Ann and her family renovated it from top to bottom. Brought in the Salvation Army, and they made it into a warm home for the homeless. Captivated by this transformation from broken down and empty to bright and beauty-full—I wanted to be part of something broader than what we could fathom. Something rippling wider than a house for two.

We started looking for buildings for sale in the Heights. Praying, God, instead of doing more for us, what might You do through us?

That’s when we found for sale, what I’d always called, the Little Church in Wilton Center. Passed it every day as a kid on my way to school. Sitting like a stamp on the corner of a curve. The perfect little house with a steeple on top. The kind man told us, “Our pastor retired, and we couldn’t afford a new pastor’s salary, so we closed a year ago.”

We visited new pews, fresh paint, new light beaming windows and knew all that hard work had more work to do. Work we might do together. We started imagining God unwrapping our gifts through this Little Church in Wilton Center. Reaching out with both hands to people in our own tiny township with the same generosity God’s been bursting our hearts with these 40 years.

We called our friends to pray. And they came, way out to the country, kneeling at the altar. Praising and thanking God for bringing us in on His broader plans. Giving us the privilege of being His kids. Watching Him move. Making us His home, His body—His church, on our own little corner of the world.

So thankful for sisters and brothers sharing the rippling ways Jesus is remaking their corners. Jesus, who purchased the hearts of His people, making rooms for more in heaven.

Grateful for Ann, Patty, Corey, Jackie & Tony, Dan and many others on their knees, on the streets opening the closed and empty with the unfathomable grace of God.