mepastormike

Are you aware of how God works around you? This never ceases to amaze me. If you looked at my schedule earlier this week you would have seen an appointment throughout the day, every day, and lasting into the evening each day of this week. I was feeling a bit tired just looking at all that needed to happen. Now don't feel bad for me... after all, I did it to my self. But as the week has moved on my appointments have either canceled or shifted to another week to make just the right amount of time to accomplish the more pressing issues at hand.
This evening I preached a funeral for a family (loosely associated with the Crossroads Church). Their loved one passed away at the beginning of this week. Although I did not know the deceased directly I believe God had laid a message on my heart to share with the grieving family and friends. I chose to preach this funeral because this is a part of my role that God has called me to... to help provide spiritual and emotional care to the people God places around me. I will remain obedient to God's calling for He has never ceased to care for me and my family. I discovered this truth again tonight... Let me explain. I've never asked for payment or a donation of any kind for preaching a funeral. If a family chooses to give a gift I leave that totally to their discretion. Tonight was no different. After the funeral a family member presented me with an envelope. Once I returned home I opened the envelop to discover a generous gift. As I began to figure our family's budget for the month I realized that the gift was the amount needed to cover some unusually high expenses we incurred over the month. God is good all the time... and all the time God is good!
My reading has taken me to 1 Kings chapters 8 & 9. King Solomon gave God praise for all the wonderful things that had come about in his life and for allowing him to complete the temple in Jerusalem. God's response is basically this, (Mike's version) "The moment this temple to me becomes a shrine to you the blessings will stop."
O God, thank you for your wonderful gifts. My desire is to remain obedient to your calling upon my life for no other reason than you are worthy. I pray for your comfort to be about the family I ministered to this evening. I pray that a seed of faith may have been planted or watered within their hearts to draw them closer to your Son, Jesus Christ. -Amen.