Offering Assistance

Well, now that the community pools is open, the most popular question for the past week has been, "can we go swimming?"  Friday night for 2.5 hrs. Yesterday afternoon for another 3.5 hrs. Of course, Mom had 2 work, so I was on pool detail and we had a riot!  Yesterday, though we tagged team them.  My wife took them over, until it got time for her to get ready, which is when I walked over and we traded places.

This meant, I was also, again, on the hook for helping clean-up upon our return so they'd be ready for church this morning. My oldest daughter has beautiful hair. Soon to be 8 yrs old, it's always been long, which is great except when trying to handle it after a bath. This is the hair, that upon the days and weeks following her birth, people would walk up to us, whenever we were in public spaces and comment on the beauty of her hair. One such patron, even asked what product we put in used on her!!  As if, we had just recently taken our newborn to the hair salon!

What occurred to me last night as I was trying to help make sure she got all the chlorine out, was that pastors need our help too. Sometimes there are things they don't know how to do or can't do quite so well, for any number of reasons, but because they are in a position of ownership, they think they have to figure it out on their own. They try, but you can tell something is amiss.

Other times, they may not realize they need assistance and so it takes an outsider willing to step up and offer their help and service; to get it done, to do it right, to make it look right. And it can be a hard proposition to make. And like I experience with my daughter, there may be a battle over the assistance. But it still needs to be done; it still needs to be figured out. Especially if we as the church, attempt to be more effective and efficient in ministry.

Pray, this #effectiveSunday, for pastors struggling in areas of church life, and leadership. For whatever reason may lie behind their not wanting or desiring or recognizing their need for help, may God bring to light, that He is strong in their weakness. May their be a grace as they ask for help and assistance, and the same grace for when people make offers to help and to aid. Pray a collaborative effort within the body of Christ; to do the work of the Lord with excellence. May the love and grace of God cover the difficult conversations and decisions; that even in spite of faults and failures, God would again, make all things work together.

For those who love Him.
For those called according to His purpose.
For His glory and the cause of Jesus Christ.

- PNC

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