I began
reading in Ezekiel 33-35, where it says that even when the Shepard's (spiritual
leaders), are NOT taking care of their flock, and causing them to scatter, God
Himself will seek out the lost and scattered flock, bind up the broken and
strengthen the sick, and then punish the leaders who failed their flock.
I
thought about that for a moment, and decided I was happy that I was not a
pastor with that kind of responsibility! Then I began to think of the many
pastors that I have had in my life. Sister Ruby Eastwood, Tom Valencia, Gary
Peters, Don Macdonald, Jim Cram, Scott Olin, Steve Fowler and Marv Kasemeier. Some of these
ministers go way back to early childhood.
When I think of
these pastors, I have many fond and funny memories of all of them. Each of
them, in one form or another, sewed seeds into my life that have obviously kept
me “running the race”. Through many trials, hurts, pains, anxieties; they have
taught me the word, scolded me when I needed it (in love of course!), and
sometimes patiently listened to me whine or cry, and then showed me the Word
for comfort. The last couple of years, Scott and Marv
both have spent many hours with me in marriage counseling, when I went through
the toughest time in my marriage ever, giving up time with their own wives and
families (and their wives and families giving up time with them!); the result
of their sacrifice was healing wounds in me, and restoration in my marriage,
which I could NEVER repay.
As I thought
about the life of a pastor, I realized that being a pastor is much like being a
nurse, a caretaker position; unfortunately the pastors usually don’t get paid
as well, and I know sometimes they don’t get paid at all!
My
brother (an unbeliever) once said to me that he should be a pastor, because it
was pretty good pay for a few hours each week. I laughed in disbelief at his
assumption, and then calmly explained to him that a pastor’s job is NOT just
preaching a few sermons each month. But a pastor’s job goes far beyond. I
explained that they get calls all hours of the night for prayer, counseling the
brokenhearted, trying to appease their sometimes demanding staff and church
members, grief and family counseling, preparing and delivering a dynamic
sermon, praying for others regularly, and the list goes on and on. And
everything they do is examined under a microscope. Their responsibilities go
far beyond a few hours on Sunday’s.
As I thought
about this subject, I am painfully aware that there are pastor’s out there who ONLY see their flock at church; they don’t spend ANY time outside of church, building
relationship with their flock. And are not at all dedicated to the well-being
of the people they were called to lead. As Ezekiel 34: 3 & 4 says, they do
not “feed the flock, strengthen the sickly, heal the diseased (by praying
for the sick), bind up the broken, bring back the scattered, nor seek for the
lost, but with force and severity, they have dominated them.”
And in
that thought, I realized how very lucky I have been, because all of the
pastor’s I have had have been wonderful. They have each sewn some good seed in
my life, they will not even realize to what extent until they reach heaven. So
I would like to take this opportunity to say a simple THANK YOU, which hardly
seems like enough; but the depths of my gratitude for these men (and woman) are
not easily expressed with words. And I take this opportunity to encourage
pastors to keep running the race, for in time, you will reap your reward!
I am
reminded of a song called “Thank You” it sings of what it will be like in
heaven, in it is this verse, “One by one they came, far as the eye could see, each life somehow
touched by your generosity, little things that you had done, sacrifices made,
unnoticed on the earth, in Heaven now proclaimed. And I know up in Heaven,
you’re not supposed to cry, but I am almost sure, there were tears in your
eyes, as Jesus took your hand, and you stood before the lord, He said, ‘My
child look around you, for great is your reward’.”
I love that song, so I sing it to all
of the pastor’s in my life and say, “RUN PASTORS, RUN!”
