Last year I helped lead a small Mission Team of Students to Costa Rica to help install a water purification system under the capable hands of Curtis and Claudia Daniels of EDGE Outreach. It was an amazing journey filled with lots of rewarding moments.
One of the 'Adventure Elements' that Meredith Salyers Lewis and I built into the trip was horseback riding on the coast that was amazing.
Our posse' picked up our horses about 1/4 mile inland from the coast and were given very basic instruction in horse riding -- basically, 'hang on!' and then we were let go to ride out on the beach as we saw fit. I'm not a little guy so that hooked me up with a large horse with a fiery disposition that liked to run. I'm not a cowboy either so I was in for an incredible ride!
As we neared the beach my horse began to gallop and I was a little tense so that kind of hurt...when we got to beach we were off to the Costa Rican Derby and my horse simply wanted to run -- FAST! And he was competitive as a horse can get so anytime he was challenged he would run faster....at first this was terrifying, but I felt a sense of a deep message and peace settle on me as the surf splashed up on me from the racing hooves -- just relax, have fun and feel the wind and surf --I've got you. You are in for the ride of your life!
At that point I was tasked with giving Crestwood Baptist Church a final answer upon my return about whether I did truly intend to leave a great position in that great church to launch a fully new enterprise which is now known as Phos Hilaron Church.
So, this was on my heart and mind a ton and on that beach racing along the message I seemed to hear deep in my spirit from God was, 'Hold On, you're in for the ride of your life! Relax and enjoy it, because I am with you.'
I had forgotten about that until this evening when we were having dinner with Tyler and Stacey Eldred of Life Champion International and The Louisville Chocolate Fountain and we were talking about horses and horseback riding. As I shared the joy of riding unfettered at full throttle with them I was reminded again of how lucky I am to have the chance to ride along and experience the thrill of watching God do HIS thing as He carries Phos Hilaron Church along at full tilt! What a ride! I'm learning to relax and enjoy the wind of the Spirit moving among us and watching God do Amazing GOD-STUFF all over the place to grow us into the Missional Church that He called us to become.
For the last 10 days I've been on vacation with my family and extended family -- well, really, we've been crashing on families sofas and extra beds as we did a 1200 mile trek from Louisville through Huntsville, Chattanooga, Cherokee North Carolina, and Corbin, Kentucky.
While I've been away the incredible team at PHC has had a great Service Worship at Creasey Mahan Park and they had a meaningful worship experience today as Len Jaggers stepped up to preach in my place. I'm grateful for this amazing team of people who are stepping up to build a church that is out in the community serving and seeking to invest & invite neighbors who don't have a church home already.
For this ride with these people I am abundantly grateful! I'm learning to relax in the saddle and enjoy the ride of a lifetime! (If you live in the Louisville area maybe you should think about taking this ride with us. Go to ph-church.org to learn what's happening next at Phos Hilaron Church.
Relax and Enjoy the Ride!
Jeff Fuson
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