Pastor Appreciation Month: Day #31 - The Minister and His Mate

Pastor Appreciation Month: Day #31

October is Pastor Appreciation Month.
Take time today to express to your pastor how much he means to you.

The Minister and His Mate (Genesis 2:18; Ecclesiastes 9:9; Ephesians 5:25)
Genesis 2:18, “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”
Ecclesiastes 9:9, “Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.”
Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it…”
Acts 20:24, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

I do not personally have a bucket list, but if I did rappelling up a rock climbing wall would be on the bucket list. Back in 2013, I had an opportunity to climb one. For whatever reason, I chose the hardest wall to climb. I recall putting on the harness and attempting to climb the wall. Right away I could tell that it was going to be a struggle. I was in over my head. Just when it seemed I could not go any further, I remember saying two words that I never want to say. Those words were, “I can’t!” At that very moment I felt defeated. In my head, I had already given up. Right away, I heard a very familiar voice utter these words with compassion and courage, “Yes you can!” It was my wife, Joy. Right away, I looked up towards the top, and I began climbing and never once looked down until I reached the top. She never once gave up believing I could make it to the top. She encouraged me to continue climbing until I reached the summit.

Throughout our ministry, she has been my cheerleader. She has always comforted and encouraged me in the ministry. I can say that she has never, not once in any way, hindered me from doing what the Lord had called me to do. She has supported me in all of our ministry endeavors. From pastoring, Christian school administrator and teacher, starting numerous ministries, and outreach ministries, etc. I want to thank my wife Joy, for 23 (and still counting) wonderful and faithful years of marriage.

“The Preacher’s Wife”
There is one person in your church
Who knows your preacher's life.
She's wept and smiled and prayed with him,
And that's your preacher's wife!
She knows one prophet's weakest point,
And knows his greatest power.
She's heard him speak in trumpet tone,
In his great triumph hour.
She's heard him groaning in his soul,
When bitter raged the strife,
As hand in his she knelt with him--
For she's a preacher's wife!
The crowd has seen him in his strength,
When gleamed his drawn sword,
As underneath God's banner folds
He faced the devil's horde.
But she knows deep within her heart
That scarce an hour before,
She helped him pray the glory down
Behind a closet door!
You tell your tales of prophets brave,
Who walked across the world,
And changed the course of history,
By burning words they hurled.
And I will tell how back of them
Some women lived their lives,
Who wept with them and smiled with them--
They were the preacher's wives!

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