In The Slow Season

A few months ago, the number of people coming to church was a bit higher. Someone stopped me in the lobby and said, "Isn’t this great?" Yes, I said, but it will go the other way at some point.

Church looks like any living thing; it operates in cycles. If you are down, you will go up, and if you are up, you will go down. I know this because I have experienced it, but even knowing it does not change the doubts. Does any of this matter? Is it me, or is it the season? This morning, I felt heavy-hearted, so I asked the Lord to encourage me. 

I have a friend I have been cautiously sharing the gospel with for over a year. He is warm to me but has always responded, “I believe in a higher power, but I will never be religious.” 

This morning, I got a dm from him within minutes of my prayer, saying, “This hit hard today.” I waited for the picture to download. It was a picture of a gospel devotional. It was open on his lap to a devotion on the daily grace we receive in Christ and an encouragement to read the Gospel of John. I asked where he got it. He said it's a devotional: it has the word of God and a good word, and it's one page per day. 

I began to cry and I got up and walked to work. 

Bless you, 

Pastor