As I stood at the back of the sanctuary after the worship
service to greet people as they left, I felt the post-sermon let down begin to
set in. I have described preaching a sermon as holding onto a live wire for
fifteen minutes. When it is over, the energy drains away, and I find I must go
home and nap before my normal energy level returns. Pat approached me last. She
is a statuesque, beautiful woman, whom I met during my last job as a lawyer.
She was one of the Ph.D. doctors who worked at the hospital.
Pat thanked me for the sermon and said she’d enjoyed the
humor. I thanked her and expected her to move on, but she hesitated for a
moment. Then she said, “I remember watching you give presentations when you
worked at the hospital. You looked miserable. Now, when I see you preach, you
radiate joy. I’ve thought about that when I’ve heard you preach here in the
past, and I wanted to share it. You seem to have found the work God has for you
to do.”
I thanked her, thought back to my time at the hospital
and said, “I am happier now. Thank you for sharing that!”
With tears in her eyes, she said, “I’ve wanted to share that
with you for some time and decided to do it today.”
The Spirit was indeed moving through the service. What a
blessing to hear a word of encouragement from one of God’s messengers--confirmation
that I have, at least for now, found the place God has prepared for me to serve.
Grace and Peace,
Donna
Grace and Peace,
Donna
