In the Waiting
Romans 5:6 is one of my favorite verses, because it puts me in my place and reminds me that while I worry and fret, anxiously trying to get things across the finish line, complete a task, make something happen, etc… God’s timing is perfect. Mine may not be, but God’s is.
Back at the beginning of the year, we shared the news that our beloved Karen Jingleski, who assumed the role of Financial Manager during the mess that was 2020, let us know that she planned to retire this year. Despite the lengthy runway that she gave us, promising she wouldn’t leave until we found the right person… I grew a little anxious waiting. We had done our due-diligence in crafting the desired job description, posting and sharing it as widely as possible, but nothing happened – or so it seemed.
Behind the scenes, God was at work in the heart and minds of our Personnel Team and a pair of individuals, who reached out almost immediately after we adjusted our plans to be open to possible part-time candidates. After interviews and an initial skills assessment by Karen, Cheryl Smith became the choice. And I’m especially excited to share that she has accepted our offer and will become our new Director of Finance later this month. She and her husband Tom joined our church in 2019 from Venice Presbyterian, where Cheryl had served as Treasurer for years. She brings a wealth of experience, as well as a heart of service as she’s been serving as a Deacon (class of ’25) among other service.
Thankfully, while we’re losing Karen on our staff, we are not losing Karen from our church. After she trains Cheryl for the last two weeks of October, she will simply continue to join us for worship and fellowship (including with the Active Christian Seniors). I cannot adequately express our appreciation for all that she has done for our church these past five years. She has gone above and beyond, and we will be making some time to celebrate her and her service later this year.
While this entire process took longer than any of us had imagined, I think the end result is probably better than we had hoped. And isn’t that like just about everything God does with us?! God’s good work takes time. And if you’re in a season of waiting right now, wrestling as God’s timing doesn’t seem to be lining up with yours, rest assured that God’s timing is perfect. And as you wait, know that God is at work, doing something in you and for you, right now.
Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus – one wait at a time,
Pastor Don