More than just a song.....

"I'm moving on". From the Rolling Stones to Hank Snow to Rascal Flatts, many recording artists have sang various versions of a song with that very title....."I'm moving on". The mere mention of that phrase is probably tied to at least one deep and heart-etched memory for most every human-being who has walked on the face of this earth. The phrase can be identified with all sorts of transitions in life.....moving on from a job, a relationship, a health condition, a living situation, you name it. "I'm moving on" is one of the few constant common denominators that we have in our lives from the time we take our first breath to the moment we take our last. Sooner or later, we all move on. 

Such has been the state of my family since the final Sunday of November 2014. After 9 of the best years of our lives, Angie and the kids and I began the process of moving on from our ministry work at the Fairfield church of Christ....and what a wonderful work it was. As a family we have been blessed over the years to worship regularly with a number of great congregations. Each of those congregations have loved and encouraged us in ways that we will never forget. We are better people because of the various places where we have worshipped. That being said, the folks at Fairfield found a way to love us to a depth that we never thought could be attained. From first Sunday year 1 to final Sunday year 9, we knew we had become a part of a spiritual family that knew what they were doing in the love and compassion department. No doubt that attitude and atmosphere had been cultivated long before we came. For 65 years and going strong Fairfield has been the church home of some of the best people this community has had to offer. Over the course of the last 9 years we have made life-long friends and deeply embedded memories for which we will forever be grateful. Our love for the Fairfield church of Christ will never waiver and prayers for that good family will continually be on our lips. 

So here we are, moving on. It should go without saying that a great deal of this process for us has been met with much sadness. As with any departure from a relationship of many years, it will take a bit of time for us to transition from the "once was" to the "what's next". Don't get me wrong, we have lots of things in our lives to be thankful for and excited about. Angie is growing her own business as a nail tech, we have a new little granddaughter who we couldn't imagine life without, Kaylee has a new job and is engaged to be married to a good man in a few months, Ruby and Jordan are involved with various activities, making good grades and occasionally working for their mean ole boss down at KayJoe's. Indeed, God has been working overtime on sending blessings to the Pickards. 

There are times when we hear "I'm moving on" and assume that it must mean something negative. I have learned many times in my life that is not always the case....such as ours. I know that every now and then it is overused and may even sound trite, but I do believe that when God closes one door he opens another. I believe God moves us on from one place to others as we are needed. Sometimes God lets us stay a few days and sometimes he might let us stay 9 years or even longer. Whatever the case might be, we need to be reminded that we are here to fulfill God's purpose, not ours. We are here to be plugged into the puzzle he chooses, which may or may not be the one that we want at the time. The interesting thing of the whole deal is that 99.99% of the time, many years later, we realize that God knew exactly what he was doing with all his door opening and closing activity. I already know this will be the case for our family as it has been the case for so many of you. Sometimes you just have to get out of the boat and start moving on.....