Endings and Beginnings

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2021 Blog Number 20

May 17, 2021

Endings and Beginnings

A house in Bergenfield was sold and closed on this past week. I realize that this is not a unique event. Since the Covid-19 pandemic has struck housing prices in Bergenfield have gone up enormously. Many people living in New York City are clamoring to come here. In our suburban communities there is less of a population density. People in New York City who have lived in higher density and have seen the high rate of Covid-19 transmissions, in part due to that density, are looking to move to our suburbs for what they believe is a healthier place to live.

What makes this house sale unique is that it was sold by an elder of our church. It was her mother’s house and she and her sister lived there with her mother. The mother and sister are now in God’s nearer presence and the house became too much for this elder to manage. After decades of residing there she made the decision to sell it and move into an apartment. It was hard for her to make this decision and make her move. But it was one that she needed to make. Her health precludes her from managing house upkeep and daily chores of life.

After the move she needed to go back and see the empty house. She needed to walk through it one more time. She needed to explore each empty room and tell me what had been in it. She also shared memories of the rooms with me. It was her “farewell” to the house that had sheltered she, her sister and their mother. I felt that I was on sacred ground as she told me these stories and felt the sadness that she expressed. She was taking a necessary move but the necessity did not take away the sadness.

After her final walk through the house, we paused at the door as she prepared herself to close it for the final time. The two of us stopped and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for all that the house had been for her and her family. We prayed for the blessing of the new people who would be moving in. She then closed the door and we drove to her apartment.

This move to me is a microcosm of life. There are doors closing as well as doors opening. Likewise, there is sadness as well as happiness with each transition. Do we go through these transitions prayerfully and trust that God is amid these changes or do we curse, fear, and resist these changes?

The most successful people in life view changes and ask, “how can I make the most of this?” Less successful people resist change and try to keep it from happening. Do we trust God? If we do, why would we resist the changes that come upon us. God is sovereign. Let us trust God, pray over each change we face, and walk boldly into the future arm and arm with God.

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To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order a copy of his book: https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/