The Journey Part -2-

Peace- It’s funny to think that not all of the questions being asked at the start of this journey have been answered. God has taken incredible care of us, and there is a renewed sense of passion and urgency for Him, and for sharing the Good News about His Son Jesus. We are only two years out, and look forward to the next part of the journey.


Honesty/Introspection- Interestingly enough it was when another Former told me about this website that I (www.FSAOF.blogspot.com) began to clear my mind and look at our situation through the eyes of others who share the same journey. As I read of similar experiences I was able to step back and start to name the things I was responsible for creating. I could see how much my pain, anger, and frustration would feed on themselves. The blame did nothing more than delay the incredible healing that awaited me. Others who were hurt much worse could move beyond the pain and accept the goodness and grace of their Heavenly Father. This needed to become my testimony.

Acceptance- While there was an intellectual and spiritual acceptance of the new path God had chosen, my emotions were not in sync. SA officership had come to define me in many ways. There is an immediate acceptance of the “major” in every community. While not always the best emotion, I was comfortable being an officer, and I realized much of that was gone. I had to accept this mid-course correction, accept the severing of many relationships, and accept responsibility for the hurt I caused to family and friends still faithfully serving. As hard as it was, I had to accept the fact that I was no longer an officer. This acceptance began the process of knowing that I was ok. Now there is a new course, with new challenges and new victories. I would begin to embrace the understanding that the God who called me, loves, accepts and approves of Jeffery Todd Bassett with or without a rank.

Growth- I have such a long way to go. My feet are still made of clay, I still don’t trust as much as He deserves, and I still fail on too many occasions. But through it all I can honestly say I am not the man I was two years ago when I left SA officership. I am learning that my growth, my health, my faith, and my fears are not the responsibility of any organization, not even The Salvation Army. I am finding renewed confidence in and dependence on the One who alone can be trusted.

Healing- Because I was trying to be obedient and to know what God’s plans were, I left under the assumption that by following Him healing would be instant. The past 2 years have allowed me to see that God’s love and mercies are new every day. For me this means that He lovingly and purposefully begins to scrape away all of the garbage and pain from my past. I have found that healing is mostly subjective. My tolerance for pain may be less or more than yours. The time it takes for me to heal can take more or less time than for you to heal from the exact same hurt. I believe God wants every one of us to know His healing power. I am grateful for the process and this forum that has contributed to my journey. It has been therapeutic to name the stages, knowing that they have led to the place where I am today.

My humble bit of advice is simply this;
1. Don’t skip any stages in your journey; you will have to address them eventually.
2. Don’t stay in any part of the journey beyond your appointed time; God wants to keep you moving forward.
3. Finally, don’t judge anyone; instead encourage those still struggling along in their journey!
I am finding that it gets better every day☺

Jeffery T. Bassett
Former
USA East
Jeffery Bassett is the Founding Pastor of Living Water Church Ministries. He has a BS in Bible and MS in Organizational Leadership from Philadelphia Biblical University where he teaches as an adjunct professor. Jeffery is employed full time by the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association where he serves as the Director of Development.
Living Water Church Ministries
Wall, NJ
pastor@livingwaterchurchministries.org