So yes it has been several weeks since my last blog. Actually it has been just over a month. Sorry about that to all of you out there who have been checking back to see what’s new. I will try to do better. Things have been a little swamped lately at The River and all my extra free time has gone to getting us transitioned out of our ministry center and into my garage. We have been in this process for several months, but things finally came to a head over the last month or so and we are finally out. Praise the Lord! We will now be saving about $1,300/month. That is money that we really didn’t have to begin with, so it will be really nice to have that off the books. God has really provided in getting things taken care of and we are very grateful.
So what has kept me so busy was working on the ministry center to get it back to its original condition and moving out all of our stuff. For those of you who know me, you know that I am not the most qualified handyman, so that was some experience.
Before becoming a pastor, I never realized all the different things that I would spend my time doing in that role. But one of the great things that I have learnedsince becoming a pastor is the imporatnce of saying “yes” to opportunities to serve. I am not saying that we need to say “yes” to everything, but I believe we have become too good at saying “no.” One of my least favorite phrases is, “that’s not my gift.”
Now please understand, I do think it is important for us to be operating in our areas of giftedness and I don’t want to see people overextended and getting burned out because they are trying to do things that they are simply not supposed to be doing. But we also need to realize that there are some things that just need to be done, and if you are available, then maybe God is wanting you to do it. Sometimes all God wants is a willing heart. He is fully capable of helping you do whatever needs to be done.
For instance, I have found myself over the last few months: fixing drywall, painting walls and ceilings, vacuuming, tossing junk, moving office furniture and boxes from one location to another, putting together shelving units, adding a floor to my attic for storage, making phone calls to cancel different services, and all kinds of other administrative and constructive jobs. None of those things are areas where I am gifted, passionate about, talented in, or even vaguely interested in at all. But all of it had to be done.
I am not writing this to complain. God has been very faithful in helping us get out of the ministry center and He has provided a variety of people over the last few months to help in different ways. And I am thankful for each and every one of you and I know that many of you were operating outside of your giftedness as well. But I am writing this to talk about what I have learned over these last few months. What I have learned is that sometimes things just need to be done and God wants someone who is willing to do it. Not because they are gifted or passionate or anything else, simply because it needs to be done. Sometimes the greatest gift is the gift of the willing heart.
We have a lot of work to do at The River and we need everyone’s help. My prayer is that both you and I would have a willing heart for whatever God has for us to do.