When God calls............answer the call............and stay the course until the next call comes. Ministry is not always along the lines we envision it, and often the tasks we are asked to do are not in our comfort zone or conform to the skills we have or the training we have been through. But, ministry demands our full attention, our obedience and our willingness to trust God, walk in complete faith and let God call the shots and supply the strength and stamina to keep at the task.
I mentioned that our friends Mike and Linda were coming to visit, and while they were here, I gave up my planned Chapel presentation today to give Mike an opportunity to give his testimony, discuss his background in law enforcement, firefighting, military, EMT, a shooting incident in which two people were killed and Mike himself came close to death, as well; their marriage counseling and current ministry to those who are now, or were in these professions as well as training people in security issues at churches, schools and faith-based organizations (see: hart rescue.us). The presentation was moving and brings up the fact that ministry sometimes asks us to relive our past, comfort others who are going through what we have been through and trust God to comfort them as He has comforted us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). To paraphrase: How many times, Lord must we comfort others by reliving our difficult experience? Seven times? .........no, seventy-seven times........no, seven times 70 times............no, as many times as God calls us to, and then we will be called to comfort them, again and again............and again.........
Ministry isn't always easy, and yet it's not our call, but His, and when God calls, answer the call and stay the course for as long as God gives us the strength and stamina to do so. And for this we say........Thank You, Lord.
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