Party Pooper

Today, I was prepared to write an article complaining of my hurt and disappointment (being a pastor of people is no easy task… oops, it came out anyway!).  I was going to open my injured and bleeding heart and show it to the world.  Surely, the world would want to know how much I give and how little I’m regarded!


 But when I arrived at my desk to pen the words and before I could touch the keyboard, two notes, scrawled in unmistakable, youthful fashion, peeked up at me, demanding my attention.  The notes were from two young brothers and they were written especially to me. 


 Through my early-morning (slow to focus) vision, I read, “Hey Pastor Jim this is Stephen (name changed to protect the innocent!) from the Bardwell family (again, changed to protect the innocent)  I hope you have a wonderful fun filled day.  Can’t wait to see you on Sunday.”  “OK”, I’m thinking, “What’s going on?” The other one said, “Hey Pastor, its Billy (another name change) have a blessed day (with a smiley face).    “Geez Louise!!  What’s up with this?”


 From somewhere else, I was directed to pick up my Bible and find Isaiah 53 and read.  Here’s what caught my attention: “He was despised and rejected…a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.  We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.  He was despised, and we did not care.”


 “He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.  He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.  Unjustly condemned, he was led away.”
 Needless to say, I was stopped cold in my tracks.  I couldn’t write that long statement, complaining that nobody appreciates me, nobody understands me, and that nobody really cares.  My ‘pity party’ had been upended by a couple of young dudes.  Young dudes that wanted to let their pastor know that he was loved.  Or, did the Holy Spirit (my Comforter) have something to do with it?


 Isn’t it interesting how God will use the most unexpected things (or people) to shake us up… to get our attention?  Knowing that my Hero (Jesus Christ) was rejected, disregarded, disrespected, and even murdered, made me think twice about staging my own private ‘pity party.’  My party plans started feeling pretty insignificant.  After all, what little I sacrifice and what little service I give is not really about me or even about the people I serve.  What I do in this life is all about my Hero… Jesus Christ!