God has plans for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (ESV). While God was addressing Jeremiah, I believe that the same is true for all of us, God has a plan for our lives. Each plan is unique, and if we all allow His plan to work in our lives, I think our lives, each with their own unique plan, will mesh with the lives of others, especially in the community in which we live.

In 1995, when I moved to Craig with my growing family, Love INC didn’t exist. Little did I know where His plan for my life was taking me and my family. At that time I knew God intended me to be a helpmate to my husband and a Godly mother to my growing children, helping to raise them to be Christians who could impact the world for Christ in some way.

As they grew and needed me less and less, I began to serve more and more at my church. I learned that part of His plan for me was to serve the community, and I was able to do this through my church. In 2002, a church member told me about a new nonprofit called Love INC that was being developed to help all the churches work together to serve the community. She urged me to apply for the executive director’s position.

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After prayer and discussions with my family, I did so and on Oct. 28, 2002, I became the first executive director at Love INC. I have been blessed to serve God, my church, and my community for the last 20.5 years. During that time I have grown not only in my faith, but also personally and professionally as I did my best to mobilize churches to meet the unmet needs in our community.

Now it’s time to say goodbye to this service and to say hello to our next executive director, Karina Browning, who is, I believe, following God’s plan for her life.

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Like me she will experience growth and learn to serve our churches and community as she mobilizes the churches to aid those in our community who need help. She’ll help Love INC grow, too. Many of the community needs have remained constant over the years, but as our community has changed so have some of the needs. Karina will lead Love INC to help the churches develop ministries to fill those new gaps in services. Each of us should follow the plan God has for our lives and to seek to serve.

Jeremiah was told this by God, “And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7, NLT). Again I think that even though God said this to Jeremiah, we should live by these directions, too.

While it’s goodbye for me here, I know I’m not done living God’s plan for my live. I look forward to saying many “hellos” as I discover how to serve my next church and community in the spirit of Love In the Name of Christ. Come and say goodbye to me and hello to Karina sometime. A great way to do that is to come see us at the Mad Hatter Family Tea Party on May 21 at the Moffat County Pavilion.

We’ll be there from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. serving food, enjoying a time of fellowship and playing bingo. Not only will we be able to say hello and goodbye, but your support (tickets are $10) will equip Love INC and Karina to keep serving God and following the plans He has for us.

Patricia Jones is the current executive director of Love INC of the Yampa Valley. She can be reached at loveincpat@yahoo.com.