Celebratory Winter Evening

After a blissful October afternoon of great fellowship, hearing the door slamming shut behind the last guest leaving, our first Troth Ministry gathering was like an oven door slamming shut. The cake is in the oven. Lord, you gave me all the necessary ingredients for this ministry: the scriptures, the vision, and the willing participants. I’m not allowed to peak in the oven to see how all is proceeding. The timer is set for three months from today. This analogy has been the only way I could completely trust in the Lord, allowing him to take care of our teams these past months.

The timer has gone off. Wow, three months have flown by fast! I’m excited to see you all and to see what God has done! As stated in “Psalms 105: 1 - “O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.” Today we’re celebrating and sharing God’s good works in our lives during these past several months. Today, the following verses are more meaningful than when we embarked on this astonishing journey. As God challenged us to live up to Hebrews 10:23-24: 23 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

As I wrote this testimony, I saw each of your faces. Thanking God for allowing us to come together to respect each other’s differences, observe and listen intently to each other’s concerns, and trust each other with our prayers for healing within our teams and church families.

Yes, he is faithful! We all faced very challenging days, from illnesses to the mourning of our dear sister Janet. God’s fate in putting the teams together. Just one example, one of the names not picked for outreach was Mrs. Janet. His gentle hand cradled Mrs. Janet and those around her from any additional pain. God saw us through those difficult days.

Yes, he wants us to consider one another to provoke unto love to do good works. Thank God for your prayers and encouragement these past months. Stepping out in faith in this ministry is a blessing for many years to come.

Yes, grow together! As we faithfully served him these past weeks, we may see the day approaching of his blessings. Better yet, waiting and growing together as the day approaches when he comes for his bride, Amen!

The only expectations since the beginning of this ministry were God’s blessings. Boy, did he deliver, even during our darkest times!! Thank God for the Pastor’s sermons addressing the expectations of our Pastor and to each other. God’s perfect timing for these sermons and the ministry challenge ran parallel with each other. The Pastor’s first sermon on the expectations of a church member was on September 26th, and on October 10th day after our first Troth meeting, he preached on Hebrews 10: 23-25. I can sincerely attest to you today; I’m not the same person that stood before you a few weeks ago, listening to the sermons and seeing God’s guiding hand throughout the ministry.

He gave me the answers to the challenges presented during this ministry. I only witnessed the tip of the iceberg of the challenges of full-time ministry. I came to appreciate our Pastor and his family’s delicate balance in meeting the needs of each parishioner and their families with utmost respect and discretion during the family’s milestone. There is a greater fondness for those who handle critical cases with great finesse and discernment. Information for concerned parishioners dealt with on a need-to-know basis. Hey, God is the authority on the “need-to-know” basis agenda.

Also, have a greater appreciation for those responsible for teaching the word of God, from Pastor to our Sunday school teachers. The responsibility of teaching scripture is a solemn task. Before the Lord, I’m responsible for sharing his word, not wanting to see someone stumble because of something incorrectly stated about the scriptures. The most challenging aspect was developing the lesson plans. When I couldn’t come up with a lesson, again, God faithfully took care of the task when Jose and his dad visited last November. Sunday before our November gathering, Brother Jeff made a brief reference during his preaching on Mark 2:1-5, the man’s healing with palsy. Again, God’s perfect timing prepared us for our next meeting and gave me his confirmation on the lesson.

Like I’ve mentioned before, if you’re struggling, please don’t stop praying. Please don’t stop reading your bible. Please don’t stop going to church because you don’t know how God will answer your prayer.

From a tumultuous summer day to a celebratory December evening, who would have thought! Let’s celebrate the most incredible celebration of all, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Amen!!