Day 31 of the 40 Days of Purpose

“Understanding Your Shape”

When I think about God using our painful experiences to serve others, I think about some of the opportunities Vicki and I have had to work with other ministers and their families, especially younger ones, to help them deal with some of the difficulties of ministry. We have a terrible dropout rate for the ministry! I don’t know if we have actually helped someone stay in the ministry that was considering quitting, but maybe sharing some of our experiences have encouraged them and helped them serve with greater joy. Maybe we have helped them find the courage to go on. Maybe we have helped them work better and see some of the results of what they have already accomplished in their ministries. Maybe we have helped them look to the Lord instead of focusing on the negatives of their church leadership. Maybe we helped them turn to prayer rather than to answering the critic with harsh words. Maybe we helped a ministry couple work harder on their marriage and take more time for each other. Maybe we helped ministry parents better understand the special challenge of not losing your kids while trying to save the church. Maybe we helped one minister’s family be better stewards and better use their resources. Maybe we helped one minister have better communication with the church leaders, spend an extra hour in the Word, preach a better sermon, hold another hand and pray….Maybe we helped one ministry family realize they are not alone, helped pull them from Elijah’s syndrome to hear again God’s whispering call. I hope we have, and if we have, any amount of difficulty we have experienced in ministry has been worth it. Thank you, God, for letting me serve!