The day after

Yesterday was one of those really long days, the kind of day that takes a little while from which to recover.  Not only was it my 40th birthday but it was also my last day on staff at Union Grove Baptist in Yadkinville, NC.  The people there were so kind and gracious to me and my family and it was a wonderful time of celebration of all that God has allowed us to be a part of there for the last 9+ years.

It's impossible to unpack over nine years of ministry in one sitting.  One would expect that when I finally left the church yesterday that I would spend the rest of the day at home with my family contemplating all that God has allowed us to be a part of for this past decade.  And usually Sunday afternoon is a time of rest in our house - that is if the kids will rest - but not yesterday.  I was scheduled to begin preaching revival services that evening so I spent as much of the afternoon as I could in preparation.  I left the house to preach at 5:45 and didn't return until after 9:00, and when I returned home I was all hyped up because preaching does that to me.  I wasn't able to crawl into bed until after midnight (and only after I ate some leftover Japanese food and some chocolate cake).

Yes, it was a crazy and draining day for me but I wouldn't have wanted it differently.  Since God has called me in another ministry direction my prayer has been that He will use me as He sees fit, even in ways that I would never suspect.  My passion is to teach and preach and I have been asking the Father to provide these opportunities.  He has not disappointed.  For me to be able to have no "gap" in ministry time by preaching these revival services is a gift from Him and it has reminded me that service to our Lord knows no vacation. 

So the day after for me is yet another day to serve God with everything that I have.  Whether I have the honor to preach or I engage in a gospel conversation at the hardware store or I enjoy some extra time in prayer in study, each day after will be another day to strive for God's ultimate glory for my life.  There are no wasted days, just opportunities that we fail to grasp for His kingdom.