July 17, 2023 - Another Blessing

     Teresa and I were youth pastors at the first church that we served, a large church in Ashland. 
     God has special seasons.  Those four years were one of those.  Many young people came to know Jesus. 
     Many of them were willing to meet before school once a week at what we called “Digging Deeper.”  They became disciples of our Lord.
     Some of those kids answered the call to the ministry.  Some of them became people of influence.  Many of them became servants.
     One of those servants showed up yesterday at church to see us.  Words are hard to find to describe what that meant to me.
     Kelley was a blessing when she was a youth and an even greater blessing now. 
     Not long after we left Ashland we received the tragic news that her mother had died of a heart attack while playing tennis.  Kelley was still in high school.  Somehow the grace of God was enough to sustain her during that dark time in her life.
     We had lunch after church.  The time with her passed so quickly as we caught up on her life and we shared what was going on in ours.
     As we were about to leave Kelley prayed for me.  Lots of folks have been praying for me over the last several months.   Most of those prayers I haven’t heard.  If they are in any way like the prayer she prayed for me, then the Father is taking notice.
     Ministry has its share of struggles and blessings.  One of the blessings is to see someone in whom you invested part of your life become a Godly woman in every sense of the word. 
     That blessing was compounded when we learned that one of Kelley’s daughters is in ministry.  The realm of influence touched a second generation.
      Teresa and I have been blessed over the years to see men and women and young people become disciples of Jesus.  We never have been the charismatic leaders who draw a crowd.  But we have tried to be faithful to His calling on our lives.
     Investing your life in the lives of others is the best investment you can make.  That is the investment that stores up treasures in heaven.
     And sometimes you get to enjoy some of that treasure while still on the earth.   We did yesterday.