Friday, November 20, 2009

A Bright, Beaming, Better Than Average Day

Today was one of those wonderfully busy days in ministry that I love. I started with breakfast at 8:30 with a woman dealing with a family crisis.
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From there I ran to the store to pick up some things for the youth group Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday.
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I picked up prescriptions, visited 3 of the saints at the nursing home, deposited some checks, and then worked on my sermon at a fast food restaurant.
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Therapist and I met and decided that now is definitely not the time for Daughter to move into supported living.
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Then I drove to City to visit a woman who was going in for a cardiac cauterization this morning. I'd visited her yesterday evening and prayed with her for the procedure. She was beaming when I arrived. They put in 2 stints and she was already feeling better. She was so relieved.
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I got home about 10 minutes before Daughter did. My sermon isn't done, I have a ton to do before Sunday, and I'm content. The woman at breakfast was apologizing, and I reminded her that ministry is my passion and it was an honor for me to support her through her pain. I meant that. The woman in the hospital told me yesterday she didn't deserve my visit (she doesn't attend worship). I reminded her that God doesn't give us what we deserve, God gives us grace.
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I feel so privileged to be able to do the things I do and to be allowed into the lives of so many different people dealing with so many different issues. I love leading the congregation in worship every Sunday.
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In many ways I feel like I'm coming out of the fog of stress and grief as my parents suffered through their final illnesses and died. I'm rediscovering my joy, and I'm appreciating it more than I ever did before.

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