Stupid Time Change

The calendar was October but the day November 9, 2016.  I was nuking a sausage burrito as the words met my eyes, “Life is ten percent of what happens to you, and ninety percent is how we respond.”

It is amazing how God puts things in the right place, at the right time, for the right situation.  That calendar has been hanging in the office workroom for six weeks and I never paid it any attention until I responded to the suggestion of my stomach that there had been a time change and, although the clock said twelve noon, my hunger remained on central daylight savings time.

Speaking of time change, I have not responded to well.  I go to bed way to early which results in me waking way too early.  My response to the changing of the time is, “Leave it one way or the other.  Stop changing my eating, working, and sleeping habits twice a year.”

When I think about responding I think of some wisdom shared with me when I first answered the call into ministry.  It happened at Shocco Springs, our Alabama Baptist Retreat Center.  It was not at a conference believe me I have attended many through the years.  It was one of my former pastors, David Meyers.

David said that he was happy to hear that I had surrendered into the ministry.  He and his wife Janice were a wonderful pastor/wife team for my home church.  David was my pastor when I first married.  In fact, it was David’s sharing with us the importance of belonging to the church in the community in which you live.  He taught us that being a Christian was one of happiness and joy.  He was a great pastor.

At Shocco, he said, “As one of your dads in ministry, I want to share one thing with you.  He said you will be pressured by the church and members of the church to respond I certain situations.  Do not let them pressure you.  Tell them that you will make it a consideration of and prayer and genuinely pray over it.  You will be amazed how many times God will work out problems for you.  Learn to wait on God.  Pastors’ biggest mistakes are trying to fix things that only God can.  We get into trouble when do not wait on God.”  I am so thankful that my pastor shared this and I have practiced for my entire ministry, lately more than ever.

David and Janice have both gone to be with the Lord.  Since it is Thanksgiving, I wanted to respond with thanks for the wisdom of those help and pray for each other as we struggle through life.

 

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord (Psalm 27:14 KJV).

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING