A Day Of Pastoring- Come Along For The Ride
Yesterday was an interesting day of connections. I’ll take you along for the ride.
The first appointment was to see Mr. R. Recently he has moved into a new home, about thirty miles away. His home where he had lived was bought by a developer, who is bulldozing the house and replacing it with a CVS and a McDonalds. The new house is on the edge of the metro area, somewhat isolated, although I am sure that in a few years the sprawling suburbs will find it. It is probably a half-a-million-dollar spread. I’m happy for Mr. R. He’s a humble man, has worked hard at a blue-collar job, and has continued to be faithful to our church. Now, McDonalds has made him financially comfortable. He said something interesting: “My true home is not this place. One of these days I’m going to move to a finer place.” He was speaking of heaven.
The next stop was Mr. B, twenty miles further up the road. He and his wife moved, from the community where they had lived all their lives, to the mountains to be near their children. Then his wife died. And now his son is moving away. He seems so lonely, and thankful that I would come to see him. Losing a mate of 60-plus years can surely leave you hurting. We talked of his wife’s funeral of a year ago, about the Lord, and we prayed together. He seems to have lost his zest for life. I pray he will get it back.
I received a call from a young couple whose infant was being rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage. We immediately called the prayer chain, and I started driving to the hospital and praying as I travelled. This young couple is on the periphery of the church, and this would be an opportunity for them to see God’s love in action. I arrived at the hospital and waited around with the extended family. When X-Rays were made, the blockage was found to be gone. The baby would be fine.
I went home for a quick bite to eat, and then to the emergency room of the local hospital to be with D. She is about my age, and has multiple health complications. I do not know the medical terms or details, but I know she is in considerable pain and the physicians have no good news. We talked and prayed. I admired her sweet spirit, and felt strengthened by how she handles such adversity with dignity and faith. She asked me to pray that she would live for eight years, to see her grandson graduate.
In the scriptures, we find that Jesus made a habit of touching those who were hurting. May you and I do likewise.
