A High Honor...

Dear God: Thank you for the joy, the honor and the fearsome privilege of standing before people and preaching Your Word.  Some days the burden feels like a 2 ton elephant stomping on my chest, other days I feel I could float to the pulpit - all days I feel honored to be loved by God’s good, patient, forgiving and hopeful people. Today I preached in my beloved Alabama.  Tonight a dozen or so of my favorite people in the world were in the audience and I was stuck by the grace of long, deep and meaningful relationships of mutual support.  Tonight I sat down beside an elderly lady who I did not know tonight. It’s a habit of mine when I travel - I don’t like the whole preacher sits at the front thing.  I asked and when she said I could sit with her we visited as the service started.  She introduced herself and then shocked me as she said: “I miss your dad...we all do.”  A lump grew in my throat.  She said: “Everybody here watched his TV program every week and anytime he preached anywhere near here we’d go hear him.”  I said: “I miss him too.” She said: “You are just like him. Today I could close my eyes (I find lots of folks do that when I preach :)) and it was just like hearing him.”  I wanted to run outside the building and shout!  I wanted to break down an bawl like a baby. I wanted to hug her. I said: “That’s about as high a compliment as I can receive.” She said: “It’s as high a compliment as I can give.”

Thank you God.

In Jesus powerful name, Amen.

I trust that if they see in me something of value that they first saw in my dad it is because of what he (and I) have learned from the FATHER we share.  I pray I will honor both my earthly and heavenly Father...

I am blessed to preach the Gospel and beg your prayers as I remain - - - human.