Fire Extinguishers

Why is it that when things are going so well, someone has to rain on the parade? My congregation is really growing right now. People are joining on a weekly basis and are excited about serving God in a loving church where it is obvious God is present by the actions of church members. In the past two years we've lost 13 members to death and have gained 27 new members. And we're still growing. Sure, there are those who have moved away but there are others who are coming in as friends. Life is a part of this church. Growth is a part of this church. So why is it, when there seems to be a fire sent by the Holy Spirit that is pushing people to look beyond themselves and reach out to their neighbors, that there is always a fire extinguisher? I had a meeting tonight to talk about how to invest some "extra" money that had come into the church and rather than celebrate, my fire extinguishers just wanted to focus on the fact that the church isn't growing fast enough and we might just need that money to get by. Have they not heard the vision I've been articulating over the past year? That we are choosing to live, even in times of difficulty? That we are not going to focus on our scarcity but rather on how we can be most generous with what we have? Why was it, when I suggested perhaps no matter how much money we had we would always feel that we needed more, that my fire extinguishers preferred to focus on what we still don't have? Are we lacking in anything? No. So why is it that we can't let go of some of what we have to give to others? Isn't that what it is all about? If nothing else, I think I may have lit a fire under them, giving them something to think about. I think I just needed to blog about this so I could decide not to let the fire extinguishers completely put the blaze out. They may not "get it," but fortunately, they're not the only ones in the church.