I've never been very big into April Fools Day. I'm just not much of a practical joker I guess. But there is one April Fools Day that I will never forget, because it began a journey that would change the rest of my life: it was the best April Fools joke ever played...
It fell on a Sunday that year, which was 1995. I was 17 years old. My dad was a minister, and our family moved around the state of Georgia a good bit while I was growing up, going from church to church, doing the work we felt the Father had called our family to. And it was a "family" thing - my dad made sure that everybody was on the same page before he made a decision.
We were moving, which was dreadful, even though we'd done it plenty of times. It never became "fun". We were tired and it was the end of a long day. We pulled into the parsonage driveway and started unloading; luckily it was Sunday night, so the church folk who had gathered made their way down to the house and helped us unload!
And so began a series of interesting events - some of the most rewarding, horrifying, wonderful, and terrible things I have ever experienced. Our family was severely abused in that place - threats made to our lives; property vandalized, destroyed, and stolen; well water poisoned; awful rumors started about us - all the wonderful things that were promised to us upon coming were found to be a lies. We were even taken to court because some of the folk there didn't like my dad and wanted us to leave the church, which of course my dad simply would not do unless God released him to go. His stance was that Holy Spirit had sent him there: Holy Spirit would tell him when to leave. It soon became very clear to us that God had indeed brought this about in a manner that only He could have.
Yet in the midst of all of this, there were awesome things that happened in that place too. I began playing/writing music there. My brother and sister also started playing music, and we started our first band there. I started a drama team there and we took the drama team and the band all over the southeast, performing at youth events, venues, and festivals. We hosted music festivals there on the church property and in other places. We saw people come into the Kingdom through this ministry. I met my husband there, had my first child there. We met so many wonderful people and did so many amazing things during those years! We experienced a mighty move of Holy Spirit in our lives during that time.
It wasn't until much later that we began referring to this whole thing as "The best April Fools Joke ever played on us." And it was Father who was the prankster! If we had known all of the tragedy and hardship we would face, it's not likely we would've moved there: we lived at the beach for crying out loud! We could have been perfectly happy there forever!
The years spent in that place made me and my family who we are - who Father needed us to be to carry out His next assignment for us, which He released us to move on to in November of 2000. Some might think Him cruel or unloving to lead His children into circumstances where adversity or hardship are inevitable, but I don't think so. What we went through doesn't even come close to what Job went through- at least we still have each other.
I appreciate the Father's loving kindness, His preparation, His way. I trust Him to lead me where He wants me to be. I know that He will be with me even in distress and trouble. I may not know these things so assuredly had I not experienced His mighty saving hand and outstretched arm in those troubling times.
Now, every year when April Fools Day rolls around, I remember those last five years of the '90's, and I am thankful. I am honored to serve such a strong and mighty God, who will shape me and mold me into the person He needs me to be, however He sees fit.
It truly was the best April Fools joke ever.
