Yesterday was Father’s Day and in The Salvation Army circles
of the South it was also Farewell Sunday.
Those two combined caused my heart to ponder and think. I have the best Daddy. I am incredibly
thankful for him and the way he has led our family. Since I was 13 I have also watched him and my
mom “parent” hundreds (maybe thousands) of men in recovery. Our holidays, vacations, and daily life
looked different because there were lots of “brothers” that needed guidance,
discipline and love. I have watched as
mom and dad have met with men, prayed with men, worked alongside, and taught
them recovery was possible with Jesus.
Our family has expanded through the years and it has known great joys
and deep sorrows. The questions “where are you from?” and “what do your parents
do?” has always made me laugh (literally, I giggle almost every time someone
asks). How do you explain yourself as a former military brat turned Salvation
Army officer’s kid? Seriously. It confuses people. Yesterday all across the Southeast people bid
farewell to their church, where they have called home for a few years and my
parents were no different. Except this farewell was different from the previous four. Mom and Dad are not leaving
Suncoast to go to another center to be “Mom and Dad” to more men. They are
heading to Atlanta, to headquarters to work on the ARC Command staff. Not gonna
lie Jack and I have prayed for this for a few years (good thing I told my mom
this the day we found out or she’d pinch my head off). Atlanta is about 4 ½ hours from us. 2ish from my brother and his family. 4ish
from my grandparents. It’s basically the
closest they can get while still serving. We are thrilled to have them this close but
it means a big change for their daily life from the last 17ish years. It means holidays, vacations, everything looks
different. They have done an amazing job
shepherding and guiding men (and staff) through the years and now as they take
on a new job, new titles, new responsibilities its exciting and a little
sad. My Dad preached his last sermon as
an administrator yesterday, Mom asked them “how they were doing?” (Souled out
in Suncoast) for the last time. I am
excited to see how the Lord uses them in this new position because I know the
Lord has gifted them and called them for
this time. It is also with a little
sadness in my heart because “growing up” in the ARC has been a joy! I could
tell story after story about summers working for them, studying in the staff
dining room for finals, bringing groups from school to do service projects, and
learning what it means to “lead people in the right way and not the wrong way”
all while knowing the Lord had called my parents to do his work in The
Salvation Army. Their work is not done it will just look a little different. I cannot wait to see God’s plan unfold. Watch out Atlanta … The Wilsons are headed
your way!
