In last 11 days I have traveled over 1200 miles. That may not sound like too big of a deal but I was not alone on this journey of Southeastern proportions, my beautiful wife was with me for every mile of this trip and she was, at the time of our departure, 29 weeks pregnant!! Needless to say she is a trooper! Why on earth would you pack up a third trimester pregnant woman for such a trip you ask, well to try and do what God has called us to do, preach the gospel and minister to people. That is the only reason I would embark on such a treacherous endeavor.
A great friend and brother in Christ, Dusty Durbin, honored me with an opportunity to preach in the church he pastors for some revival meetings. Dusty is the pastor of Atlanta Baptist Church in Atlanta, Louisiana, a town as small as Atlanta, GA is big. He is doing a great work leading a great group of people who work for their living day in and day out and work tirelessly for the gospel of Christ as God gives them the opportunity.
As great as Dusty and the congregation of Atlanta Baptist Church is (and i could blog about them for days), something else hit me even harder than their love for God and people on this trip. There was a man there for all three nights of revival services who showed me a pastor's heart like I have never experienced in person before. While I cannot remember this fellow's name or the name of his church he minstered to me more than he knew and probably more than I did for him by preaching.
This man was a local pastor in the area at a bivocational church and he came every night for revival services. This was no I had nothing better to do so I came one night situation. He not only came himself but on the Wednesday night of that week he cancelled services at his church so that they might be able to come and attend the revival meetings at Atlanta. I have never seen this before, granted I am a young pastor and us young bucks do things different than they used to and all, but I have never even heard of old pastors doing this. To be so interested in himself and his people be revived that he does not care if comes from another pulpit says alot about this man's commitment to God and his people.
I was not only humbled as a preacher, because he brought his church to hear me, but also as a pastor because it would have never entered in my mind to cancel services for a revival in the area I served. I might encourage the church to go on Monday or Tuesday but not give up leading a service so someone else could hopefully lead them to a deeper more intimate walk with Christ than I had. Even though I do not know this man's name he has forever impacted me with his humble service to his people and compliment to me. I am resolved to lead in just that way in the future.
So here is my question to us all: what are we willing to do to grow deeper intimacy in our walk with Christ? What will we sacrifice for that goal? Is it everything or will we continue to lie when we sing "I surrender all"?
Just some thoughts for us to ponder on our route, from the rural route I am on.
Grace and God's Blessings on us all.
