What a blessed day it was yesterday with thirteen people come out for work day at the church. The weather was perfect with being overcast and not too hot. There was so much work completed on the outside of the building which blessed me in abundance. The thing I was really blessed by was seeing people talking and laughing as they worked. I am one blessed pastor. Last night as I crawled into bed I thanked God for my people and asked Him to encourage pastors who are discouraged. I prayed for people to love on them today at church and asked Him to put people in their path that would encourage them. I also prayed for them to realize everything that is happening in their life is not their fault. Some of the hurts may be because of their own doings but a lot of the hurts are because of other people's actions. We can be our worst enemy because we allow the enemy to tear us down. God is there for us 24/7 to love on us. He is there to encourage us. Praise His Holy Name! When life seems like everything is going wrong, it may just be God taking care of things to make life better. That means when people are taken out of our lives it is not always a negative but instead is for our own good. Sometimes I wonder if Doc's death was because God wanted me to realize the strength I had without Doc. After being married thirty plus years we worked together as one most of the time instead of as two different people. I was strong before he died but I definitely am stronger since. Some days are still a struggle with missing him. I especially miss him as my pastor. I learned so much from him in that role. I also miss his knowledge of everything. Even when he didn't have an answer he would find one. He never gave up which is a lesson I strive to put into practice every day. This morning the tears of falling for all the things we never got to experience but they are also tears of joy for all the things we did experience. God keeps taking me back to a time the month before he died when he told me to never forget what we were experiencing and to never forget to have fun. I strive to do just that. As I reflect on this last week I think he would be proud of me in so many ways. I'm sure there would also be disappointments but that goes with being a human. I am reminded of a song called "When We Fall Apart" that Ryan Stevenson sings...
Well, it's been a while since you've been gone
And sometimes I still catch myself tryna call your phone
All the hopes and dreams we used to talk about
They're still alive in me, and I just hope I make you proud
Now I'm your legacy and it's your love still holdin' me together
And I still hear you say
It's okay to cry, it's okay to fall apart (Oh)
You don't have to try to be strong when you are not
And it may take some time to make sense of all your thoughts
But don't ever fight your tears 'cause there is freedom in every drop
Sometimes the only way to heal a broken heart
Is when we fall apart (Yeah, yeah, it's okay to fall)
Sometimes the only way to heal a broken heart
Is when we fall apart
Dear Jesus, Thank You for all who participated in work day yesterday! Thank You for loving me through my church family! Lord, just as I prayed being going to bed, in the middle of the night, and again this morning encourage pastors who are discouraged. Put people in their path who will love on them with Your love. Cleanse me so You can fill me so I can share Your love more. I pray for many hurting to be encouraged by someone today. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues, and my friend Rosemary who is hospitalized. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. I pray You will be so very real to the father dealing with custody issues with his little girl. I pray healing over little Weston who is in ICU and strength for his parents. Lord, be so close to John with the death of his father. Thank You for being My Strength! Amen.
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