Why We Do This: Part I - The Town Tramp

If you are in a season of ministry filled with blessings and joy, I encourage you to journal about it. Looking back on the good things God has done is a wonderful way to find strength in those seasons that are not so easy. 

My mom, Pastors Wife for over 40 years, has some stories to tell. They are all true and so good that I’ve turned them into three parts. Her stories illustrate why we do this thing called ministry. Here’s my mom’s first story:

The Town Tramp 

By Doreen Babcock

Everyone knew the town tramp. The deep pockets of his oversized coat held empty liquor bottles. He collected them for the recycling money. Truly, he rarely drank. But he did love his pipe.

Each Sunday, he knocked the tobacco out of his pipe and laid it carefully on the ledge by the back door of the church. Most of the time he left his liquor bottles there as well. Except for the Sunday when one fell out of his pocket and rolled to the front of the church while my husband, Eldon, preached. Eldon picked up the bottle and set it out of sight and just kept right on preaching. At the end of the service he gave it back to it’s owner with no scolding. The tramp came back every Sunday after that. 

Our church had grown and was bursting at the seams with new believers.  Rich and poor alike worshiped side by side. At the time, It seemed like a little piece of heaven in full view.

I will never forget the Sunday God revealed to us exactly what it meant to BE the Church. My husband stood and delivered a call to respond to the Gospel. The altar railings fairly shook with joy as people came forward.  One couple dressed in expensive, clothing knelt together and prayed and wept. The sound of the Tramp coming up the aisle caused them to stop. Realizing the altar was almost full, they moved aside and motioned for the tramp to kneel between them. 

My heart burst with joy as I watched this beautiful display of God’s kingdom. The tramp now has a new name written down in glory!

The End

And this, my dear PW’s is why we do this thing called ministry! Transformed Souls!

What’s your story? What keeps you going? Why on earth do you do this? Journal about it. Share it with a friend. If you’d like you could email us at pastorswife101blog@gmail.com We’d love to hear from you.

Refreshments needed: Pastor's wife 101

I love the comfort of a warm cup of tea on a cool autumn morning. When my mind and body are in need of refreshment tea brings a certain security to my day. Of course it helps that this little ritual often leads to opening the Word of God.  It's even more wonderful to find that opening the word leads to words about refreshment.

Jeremiah 31:25 "For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes.”

This week, I truly felt the need for more than refreshment. My heart and mind grew tired and needed renewal. So, I sat on my porch and spoke to the Lord. I think God has a sense of humor. Because he reminded me of an event that illustrated the truth about renewal in such a funny way that I never forgot it. 

On the advice of a friend, I committed to ten visits with a chiropractor with "alternative" methods. I went and found each visit wackier than the last. 

My most memorable visit involved a colander, a mallet and a very small man sitting in a chair in the corner. 

As I waited my turn on a massage table, I overheard the chiro-man say to the very small man, "I am going to hit this metal bowl with a mallet and the vibrations are going to reset your mind." 

My jaw dropped in amazement as he gave a sharp rap to the colander. 

TWANG! 

As the reverb echoed through the room, I burst into uncontrollable laughter. 

Let's just say my guffaws and sarcastic remarks were not welcome. 

God used this wacky experience to vividly illustrate renewing my mind. I admit to a weird temptation to put my kitchen colander on my head and hit it with a hammer, but the bible has a more effective approach. So grab your  bible and your refreshments and let's discover how to refresh, reset and renew our minds!

Romans 12:2

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Do you see the two commands in this scripture? Underline them and put a slash mark between them. 

Like this:

Do not be conformed to this world / But be Transformed by the renewing of your mind. What does it look like to be conformed to this world? Ephesians Four may shed some light on this.

Ephesisans 4:21-23

"If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed int he spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."

So what are we to lay aside?

Why are we to do that? What is wrong with it?

Let's look at this practically. When I am tired and weary the old me says:

"People suck, I'm fed up with this."

"Nobody appreciates me."

"God must not be looking my way today."

"I'm just going to watch this trashy show and try to escape."

The old me is like this butterfly we found wedged in the cracks of our fender. Hurt, scared, and desperate. 

The problem arrises when I refuse to turn those feelings over the God. I don't let him rescue me. 

Instead, I dwell on my poor predicament until I begin to fester with pride, anger, jealousy and rebellion.

Shocking huh? Maybe your old self is not as bad as mine. Maybe it is worse. Regardless the bible tells us it is corrupt. We can't trust anything that is corrupt. We have to walk away from it.

So let's go back to that wacky Chiro-man. He believed with all his heart that the vibrations of that colander were resetting the mind of his patient. What if the bible were our colander? What if we let the vibration of it's truth reverberate in and through us in such a way that our old self fell away and our new self rose up?

Oh the glory of that thought!

So let's look at Ephesians one more time. It tells us what to do!

"Be renewed in the spirit of your mind." 

Put on the new self.

Which is in the likeness of God

and has been created in 

righteousness

holiness and

truth."

The new me says: 

"People are loved by God, I can love in His strength."

"God sees me and loves me, I can do all things through Him."

"I will worship the Lord with gladness for he has done great things for me."

The new me claims that verse we started with in Jeremiah. "For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes."

Truth

Holiness

Righeousness

These are the refreshments that will truly renew my mind. 

So pass the refreshments please!

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Pastor's Appreciation Month is here are you ready?

Maybe you saw the title of this post and thought, "Oh yeah! Bring on the gifts and appreciation!"  Maybe you thought, "Ha! nobody even does that anymore!"  Well read on! I think you'll be encouraged.

Someone asked me the other day, “What’s the best gift you’ve ever received for Pastor’s appreciation month?” 

Crickets...no I don’t mean we received them, but that’s the sound of my answer.  I really couldn’t think of anything.  Not that we’ve never received gifts. I just don’t think they coincided with October. 

We loved the July gift someone gave of us of their time share. Our kids still bring up the good memories of that week. 

Oh and the January gift of a ski lodge weekend. My hubby still moans over the humiliation of that snow board incident. 

We’ve received butter braids and gift cards and local passes to parks. We’ve received a quilt with dear messages written on each square, and a Gold framed picture of an old fashioned sewing machine..love that one!  Sunday morning's I often receive hugs and plenty of love. Darling friends have left baskets of goodies on our doorstep when we were sick. 

Yeah, I could say we feel gifted and appreciated.

So, why is that when October comes around we feel a bit miffed when nothing more than a card arrives in the mail?  I believe it’s because we’ve lost sight of our purpose.  And why do we turn up our noses at the card when that could be the very person God has helped us to impact the most this year. That card could represent a huge sacrifice of humility or time or finances..no matter how small. 

I’m lecturing myself here as well as you dear one. I have been known to be prett -tty grouchy about the apparent lack of appreciation October brings.  I hang my head in shame over my attitude.

Mark this: We did not enter ministry to be appreciated by man but approved by God. We are servants who’s purpose is to glorify the master. We are shepherds who’s job it is to protect and love the sheep. We are soldiers dedicated to digging into the trenches or to marching into battle, knowing we might get dirty and wounded and it all might end in complete chaos. But, will God be glorified in our obedience? You betcha!

Does a soldier expect a butter braid bread at the end of a hard days work? 

Does a shepherd expect his sheep to send him off on a week long vacation? 
Absurd. 

Of course, we are grateful when people appreciate us. To expect it and even to demand it in our spirits? That is the day we are clearly off track. 

So, this pastor’s appreciation month, I challenge you to dig in to the Word of God. I implore you to care more deeply for the people in your congregation. Do not expect a thing in return other than the approval of God. I commit myself to this task as well. 

Oh my! I think this calls for a spot of tea. Come, let’s sit down and ask the Lord to give us renewed focus and purpose.

 Let’s seek God’s approval for our attitudes and actions today.  He knowns our names. He sees our hearts. Let’s rest our heads on his shoulder, close our eyes and feel the autumn breeze touch our face. May the Lord’s very presence fill you with peace today. I am so glad, sister to be here with you on this lovely October day. I feel so ready for this month now. How about you?  Yes? Good. 

I am so glad we are...

Under the same wing.

Joleen