sadness in the midst of inexpressible joy

I (Rebecca) have begun to really miss home a lot lately.... I was told told that this would eventually happen but never really knew what to expect until the day it 'hit' me. It seems to have 'hit me' a lot lately. BUT, I am so incredibly happy here in PA all at the same time - how does that happen...?


    
     I am as happy in Pennsylvania as I ever imagined I would or even could be. I knew when this journey for us began that the Lord was sending us here to PA for a really specific reason and He would make that clear as we went. Well, the clarity could not be any more crystal clear - we are here to serve at Faith UMC and we are being blessed beyond reason in our serving here! And, gosh do we have so much more that the Lord is showing us that we are to do while we are here. Our plan to be in Pennsylvania is a long-term plan - not a short lived mission trip, but a life change that has brought us to PA! We are committed to serving the Lord where He leads and takes us, through the tough and the 'easy', in the good and the bad, through the growth and change! We passionately love, care for, and are dedicated to the mission of Faith UMC and are here to stay! We are blessed each and every day by the people of the church and the community by their love, support, words of encouragement and friendship! We know that this is now our home and we feel as though this IS HOME! 

     Now that I have rattled on about my passion and love for Faith UMC and my belief that the Lord has us in Montoursville, PA for a reason, I also feel very led to be very honest with myself, my husband, my friends and my family. There are things about Alabama that I do, in fact, miss. All of my life until July 1, 2012 has been lived and spent within a 4-hour radius. I grew up in Headland, AL, went to college in Mobile, AL in 2002, got married and lived in Daphne, AL in 2005, and then moved to Dothan, AL in 2006 and there is where we lived until the Lord called us to PA in July of 2012. I have long-term girlfriends that I have been friends with over half of my life that are still in Alabama, my parents are in Headland, my brother is in Mississippi, and all of Tony's family is in Alabama. I have days that I find myself wanting to call my friends and crash on a couch with a cup of coffee in my pajamas and without a shower - just because. I find myself on some days wanting to call my mom to come get Chip for an afternoon or evening so I can surprise Tony with dinner out. I miss my couponing friends that used to clip and swap together each week; I miss my business partner and our inappropriate jokes and our business brainstorming sessions, and I could go on and on. I miss what is familiar - what I have always known - what was 'easy'. Now that the 'new' has somewhat worn off of PA, I have found myself missing all of this a little more lately.


     The reason, though, I am sharing with you my feelings and how much I miss Alabama and how much I love Pennsylvania all at the same time is for this - it is totally possible to experience sadness in the midst of inexpressible joy! I have always heard people say this during mourning the loss of a loved one, and have even felt the same way mourning the loss of my own loved ones, but who knew these emotions could also be felt during life change. When the Lord is growing us and moving us into new places and new things, we can't help but rejoice in the painful and sad times for if we are in the center of the will of God, and know that we are on this Earth to fulfill His great mission, then 1 Peter 1:3-9 should be our cry of praise! It says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
     Pennsylvania is our home, now, and what a beautiful and wonderful place to call home! We have loved each and every opportunity we have had here, from snow and sledding to the Little League World Series and we know that there are millions of more opportunities that the Lord has waiting for us here! We know that there is a great work that is yet to be done and that we are to continue to strive for the goal of Christ which is to spread His word and preach the Gospel of Christ to all who will listen! All throughout the scriptures and especially in the Psalms it speaks of how great are the works of the Lord! We, Tony, Rebecca, and Chip Sharp, are beyond blessed to be able to say that the Lord has called us to His work, to experience His blessing, and to share the love of Jesus with others! Some days we find ourselves missing what we have always known and even mourning the loss of what was familiar, but don't ever let that overshadow the fact that we are praising the Lord in the storm of those darker days and rejoicing in the fact that we have been called for His good work and are well please in PA and plan to be here for quite some time!