Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7

It’s always interesting to hear how folks have made their way to Chatham county. Work, school, and family are the most common threads, and there are a fair number of natives. (Hey, y’all!) When we moved here in 2015 our realtor mentioned the up and coming Chatham Park, and how Pittsboro would change a lot in the coming years. Fast forward to 2022…and Pittsboro has indeed undergone some changes! The Chatham Chatlist and Nextdoor app are populated daily with posts pertaining to the rapid development of Chatham county, and it seems everyone has an opinion about the current state of things.

You know who else had opinions about their current state of things? The Israelites exiled in Babylon. The verses in Jeremiah 29 are instructions given to them by God, and nowhere does it say sit down and feel sorry for yourself, complain to everyone who will listen, or give up and do nothing. God tells them to do the opposite: build houses, plant gardens, multiply! Then God tells His people to “pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

How do you think the Israelites prayed for Babylon?

Maybe their first prayers went something like when we make our kids apologize for doing something to hurt each other. There’s dramatic sighing and rolling of eyes, and then the fastest and most insincere apology ever heard. “Uggggghhhh FINE! DearGodpleaseblessBabylon. Amen!” Thankfully the good Lord has given us the capability to grow and mature over time, and I like to think that their prayers expanded to include wise leadership, prosperous harvests, health for the entire population, and peace with neighboring nations, among other things.

I think it’s safe to say that none of us have been exiled to Chatham county, but maybe it looks different than it did when you moved here a few years ago. Maybe you’ve lived here your whole life, and you’re not happy with the direction the recent and rapid growth has taken. Maybe you’re brand new to the area, and the clean water issues are a source of anxiety. Maybe you’re a transplant from the Midwest who wakes up every day just happy to be living in the South, but it’d sure be nice to have a Target nearby!

So how do we pray for Chatham county?

We can pray that it’s blessed with honest and fair leaders, kind and hard-working citizens, economic prosperity, clean water and affordable housing, the wisdom to manage this rapidly changing population, and for the grace to forgive the inevitable hiccups along the way. 

What a blessing to have more neighbors with which to share the Good News! Take a minute and pray for Chatham county today–for something listed above or of your own choosing–then pray that Chatham Church would continue to be a blessing in our community.