Intentional Encouragement

     If you follow my blog, or read it occasionally, you probably know that I was a pastor for most of my ministry life.  In addition to that, I spent 5 years serving with a mission agency and have had 2 seasons during that time in which I was not being paid to be in active ministry.  I was waiting for God to show me what he wanted next.      In the first instance, I was selling office furniture because we had endeavored to move to Australia to plant churches and the door closed.  When I switched to serving at the home office of the mission agency, my support quickly dried up and I sought out "secular" employment.  The second of those times is right now.  In July, I resigned my pastorate of nearly 9 years in Virginia because I became fully convinced that my time there had come to a conclusion and that God was done using me in that particular church.  I'm still convinced that it was true, but God has permitted me...

As a pastor I have sat with numerous people in hospital waiting rooms .  Sometimes it is a serious threat to life.  Sometimes it is a major question mark about the direction this could lead.  Many times everything "turns out fine."  Sometimes, the news is devastating.  Regardless, the waiting room is one of the most frustrating places to be.  Nothing can be done.  We have now power to accomplish anything for the situation.  We have to wait on those who can do something to do their thing.  So we wait...and pace a little...and go get another cup of coffee.  We want to be able to DO something.  But we can't. At other times, the waiting room is more of an emotional space where you sit in anxious anticipation; wondering what the outcome of a particular situation is going to mean for you.  Sometimes it is the waiting room of a difficult relationship.  We find ourselves there when we are in a job search and when we are in a j...