Isaiah 55:8-9

Ok, long story here... I'll start at the beginning.

Our church (Church at the Crossing) had begun a major campaign to build a new sanctuary and had spent over 100,000 on all that goes into planning a major building like that. Last year, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) came to the church with plans to upgrade the Keystone exit of 465, which in the process would take some of our land (where the new sanctuary was planned to go).

Forward to yesterday.

The church has taken this opportunity to refocus and start a new campaign to pay off the remaining debt on the old building and focuse on outward ministry, both locally at Bells chapel church of god and at state, national, and world levels, with several missions trips planned throughout the world. Yesterday Pastor Steve also let us know the final decision for the land, and the offer made by INDOT to not only pay for the land, by also repay us for the costs undertaken planning for the new sanctuary! It was really exciting to see that not only was God redirecting the church, but he had in mind a way to recover all the costs of our work.

Last night, Bells Chapel caught fire, and from the news, it sounds like the building was gutted. It's really good that it happened when it did, because during the day the church provides a daycare for about 150 children, but it's still really hard to see the damage there in a place where the church is so needed.

As hard as it is to hear about the fire though, all that I'm thinking is the incredible timing of our churches campaign. Clearly God is at work here, because no one could have planned for this, and yet here we are, unable to build our new building, redirecting our efforts to help bells chapel in the weeks before the fire. I don't know what God has planned here, but it is truly comforting to see what he is doing here.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (New International Version)

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."