Progress Part I

I haven't been inspired much lately to write within this forum. It certainly doesn't have to do with the power and provision of God because He has still been blessing me more than I deserve. I still Pastor a great church with a great people who love and support their Pastor. I am still blessed with children who love me and call me Daddy, but lately I have been stuck in a rut.

God gives Pastors vision. What He wants His church to be, how He wants it to look, how He wants us to behave. Many times we as Pastors see this vision as the master blueprint sitting in our office or on our vision wall or it is the vision that drives our sermon preparation or teaching moments. We work tirelessly to cast this vision so that the people will catch and communicate this vision to new converts and old Christian members.

I must admit it is personally frustrating to put so much work into trying to do what God wants me to do, only to look at something that doesn't resemble the vision that God has shown me. To show me the debt can be paid off but we are still looking at it, to see a comprehensive Christian education program offering a chance for members to receive a Diploma of Christian Education through our National Convention and yet see more hurdles than finish lines, to see men and women who return to their rightly spots reclaiming the Christian Home but to look at fragmented, divided homes where people would rather play house than build a Christian home. It's frustrating.

I retreated from my normal spots of communication with God as to be honest, I just didn't want to hear it. I withdrew from sage and sound preachers who I knew would tell me to be patient and hold on. It's hard to hold on when you are losing hope everyday. However, I am grateful that when you stop talking to God, GOD DOES NOT STOP TALKING TO YOU.

The pictures I posted are how God started talking to me. This is a Golden Corral. Praise be to God, they are building this down the street from where I stay. I already have my spot, my corner, my table, my sanctuary with my green beans, chocolate cake, fish,,,,heyyyyyyyyyyyyy glory. ANYWAY.

When they started digging dirt, I didn't know what they were doing. After a while I read the article in the newspaper. Golden Corral was coming but the more they dug dirt and overturned earth, it didn't look much like a Golden Corral. Then they laid the foundation, seemed awful small, framed it, still smaller it looked to me.

As I took pics the foreman saw me. I introduced myself to him. He told me the crew knew me as the Pastor who came by and brought water to them a couple times. Hey, least I can do, they are building me my green bean sanctuary. He showed me the plans for the restaurant. The plans were in his office. I told him what I saw didn't look like what was out there now.

I love what he said to me, IN MY OFFICE IS THE FINISHED PRODUCT, WE AREN'T THERE YET. THIS IS PHASE ONE. He then took me to the meeting area where he showed me the Phase I design and sure enough it looked just like what I had seen on the outside. We build in stages. It is not an overnight process. It takes time. The foundation must be right. The plumbing, wiring ,electrical must be right and checked off on. The framing bust be built to specificity and brought to rise the right way.

It takes time. Progress takes time. Don't trash the overall vision but learn to look at what Phase you are building now, not just the overall picture. You might see more growth that way. PART ONE!!

Owens