Giving In Return

It sure feels wonderful to have the opportunity to give back to those who give so much of themselves.

My church participates and hosts an annual event every year for Shepherd's Fold Ministries. It's a ministry that ministers to ministers.

Confused yet?

A pastor of one of the churches in our community started an organization ten years ago this year when he retired from his pastorate. The purpose was to provide a safe haven, a retreat for area pastors to get away with their families and spend time with other pastors to strengthen one another and support each other. The life of a pastor is one that makes it hard to make friends - REAL friends who will listen when they have frustrations, hurts, and doubts just like the rest of us do. Sometimes people in the church are best at eating and spitting out their own.

Who better to talk to about and understand what a pastor is going through than another pastor.

The ministry pays to bring in pastors from all over the state who need nourishment for their own souls and time with their own families. Our church provides the space for their conference time and then one evening our choir and orchestra gather members from other choirs and orchestras from other surrounding churches who wish to participate and we sing and play and lift up these pastors in worship.

We get to minister to the ministers.

Started out reaching pastors in Kansas. This year they brought in some pastors from Missouri too. They hope to reach pastors in other surrounding states eventually.

In all my years participating in our choir, I've never been available to be involved in this event. Priorities have to be set and I've made critique group my Thursday night priority since rejoining the choir. But since I took a break from critique for the play, I thought about doing it this year. This would be my one and only opportunity to actually participate in giving back. Only thing is that being away from home Monday night, Tuesday night, and Wednesday night I knew I'd be exhausted come Thursday.

Wasn't planning to participate then. But then our drama director for the play told us she had to be out of town this past Monday night. That left Monday for relaxing at home. That would leave me open to consider Thursday.

The door was open. I walked through it. Sure glad I did. Yes, I'm absolutely spent this evening after arriving home. Can hardly keep my eyes open sitting here writing for my blog. But my heart is full.

And I thought I gave it all away tonight too. Guess that's what is so wonderful about giving - you always get something back in return.