Picking Heaven's Flowers for the Journey

Jared, JJ, Susie and Abby Alleman ::

Serving with International High School Ministry through Cru in Budapest, Hungary

The Beginnings of Spring have been especially significant for us this year. Shortly before Spring sprung we found out we were expecting our third child. Shortly after Spring officially came, we reached our monthly support goal and JUST TODAY we found out that our special gift need is met!! All paving the way for our New Beginnings in Budapest, Hungary and our long-term missions' assignment there.

And all of these signs of new life, of hopes realized, of dreams coming true are beautiful and inspiring and extremely humbling. Who am I to take such a part in the work of God in the world? To be called to a missionary life few will ever experience? To walk through doors into high school classrooms on the other side of the world that ONLY the hand of Heaven could open?

Beginnings are exciting, humbling and when they have been walked in step with the will of God, they are nothing short of a myriad of miracles. This has certainly been our experience as we have seen the LORD continually remove mountains of obstacles to make a way for our little family to take this step.

But Beginnings are also scary, even terrifying, and they are most definitely bittersweet. To say 'hello' to a new life means saying 'goodbye' to a life, ministry and friends we love. It means new relationships with other missionaries that now are maintained from places around the world. And it means a painful separation from our families as we move thousands of miles and an ocean away from them.

And Beginnings require our everything. They ask for our hearts to be unreserved in new relationships. Those a good God has been preparing as dear friends and surrogate family. They ask us to die to the old comforts of a way of life and what was our community so that this new life is unencumbered by expectations and the bitterness that comes when they are not met. And none of this is easy.

Whether we are moving to another country or another ministry assignment or church in a neighboring town, we all experience these soul growing pains to make room for new life. It is a part of the calling we have received and we as women and ministry wives feel it all acutely. We are the ones who think about the whole picture and wonder how the kids will transition, will they find good friends? Will we find good friends? What strains will our marriage face? The list of unknowns is unending and the swell of grief severe.

So this is when we need to pick Heaven's flowers.

As wives who partner in ministry with our husbands, it is necessary for us to embrace the inevitable heart and life transitions of our journey. And Heaven's flowers are those promises that come to live in us in new ways with each dying to the old in order for the new to come.

All who love Him are on the journey Home and we share forever in unending bliss and joy and basking in the Glory of this One Great Love. We serve a God who knows the end from the beginning and loves us in, above and through all things and is so gracious to call us to a life of surrender. And He promises that we receive manifold in return for every loved one we let go of living close to in the here and now so that we might follow Him.

And so in these days where less than two weeks separate me from this BIG MOVE, I am gathering many bouquets of Heaven's flowers. When the sadness of seemingly unending goodbyes threatens to swallow me whole, I pick up the joy of that beautiful last time together, the sweetness of that prayer and always the brilliance of the Beauty found fully in the hope of Heaven.

It is only then that I am well on the path to begin the new with a full, open and trusting heart.

What about you?  Has God been preparing you for Beginnings? How is your heart right now? Are you finding Heaven's Flowers?  I am praying for you all as we walk this road together.

I am Abigail Alleman and I share my heart and this journey overseas and mostly, what it is to love God with everything and fight for that love at my blog, Fan the Flame. I will be sharing more about this new life in Budapest in the coming weeks and months and beyond and I also share about our family's journey and life and times at my other blog Abby Avenue.  


Special thanks to Carla and Monique for this wonderful community! I count it a privilege to be a part of this and think you are both amazing, godly women and I am so blessed to know you!

Opening Our Hearts to Change

By Carla Adair Hendricks *

Springtime is here! Azaleas and daffodils are blooming, splashing watercolors across our flower beds. The sun is spreading rays of golden warmth. And Easter is on its way. A time of renewal. A time of reflection.

A time of new beginnings.

So for the month of April here in A Pastor's Wife's Garden , we'll share about new beginnings. So join us here every Monday this month. What better place to be during the first days of spring, but in A Garden?

The words "new beginnings" bring beautiful thoughts to mind. Thoughts of second chances. Thoughts of being born-again through a relationship with Christ. Thoughts of new ideas, new projects, new purpose in life.

It also reminds me of change. With every new beginning, we must undergo and adapt to change. And if you're like me -- and most other women on the planet -- change can bring a sense of uncertainty and even dread. Change can knock the security right from under you.

Over the years I've learned much about change. Here's a few:

Change Is Inevitable:

From the moment a newborn inhales her very first breath, she's slapped with the reality of change. No longer will she enjoy the constant warmth and comfort of her mama's womb. She will experience hunger and cold and discomfort. Her life has undergone great, life-altering change.

And ours has too.

We have aged, we have moved around the country (or world), we've married, we've had children (through birth and adoption) -- and oh my, we've entered full-time ministry with our husbands.

The only way to halt this roller-coaster of change is to stop living. On this side of heaven, change will follow us for the rest of our lives.

Change is Difficult:

Let me just be real for a minute. I don't like change.

I like consistency. I like routine. I like security.

Change pretty much rocks my world. I would much rather do without it. And yet, one thing that's been consistent in my life has been -- well, change.

One of the most challenging changes of my life has been relocating -- back-to-back relocations. And just recently, the Lord showed me I'm still reeling from the last one. When my husband, four kiddos and I packed up to relocate to Northern Virginia to plant a multi-ethnic church much like our Tennessee church, Strong Tower Bible Church , I was sad, but excited and expectant. I knew the relo' drill. I knew it would take a while to make good friends. I knew it would take months for our house to feel like home.

But exactly twelve months later, we relocated again to Arkansas. I found myself reeling from the blow of those two consecutive moves. I was a mess, weepy, ready to jump ship.

Almost two years later, I'm no longer a mess, no longer weepy, and no longer ready to jump ship. But I'm still grieving. Grieving relationships from three different cities. Grieving all I'd ever known. Grieving my favorite grocery store chains, for goodness' sake! (Oh Publix and Wegman's, Mama still loves ya!)

Yet God is still good. He is still trustworthy. He still loves me to pieces.

And Hallelujah, Hebrews 13:8 reassures me that He never changes:

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." 

Change is Necessary:

If we could interview a newborn baby, she would probably express distress over the dramatic change of birth. She might even choose to stay in her mother's womb if humanly possible. But having lived on the other side of the womb, we big girls would cheer her on, encourage her to go for it, to enter this crazy world with all its nuances and risks.

Why? Because we know the syrupy sweetness of a strawberry. We've experienced the cushiony coolness of beach sand under our feet. And we've felt the cozy comfort of a loved one's embrace.

And we know she'll never experience the joys of this life if she never takes the leap (or push) into the real world. And as difficult as change can be, it's always worth it in the end, because we're better for it. We're more like our Savior at the end of the road of change.

And yet, I'm praising God that He never changes. When my world swirls around me, and I can barely grab a railing to balance myself, I need to know that Jesus remains constant, consistent, unmovable.

And He'll be the same in your life -- no matter how much, how often, or how drastically your seasons of life might change.



* To read more about Carla or check out her personal blog, visit The Master's Gardeners and Deep Waters.