It is early on my last Friday as pastor of FBC Seminole. I could not sleep so I came to my office. Just looking around this room I see so many blessings. My desk. My bookshelves lined with thousands of books. My computer. Pictures of Brenda, Jennifer, and the boys. My Bible. All blessings.
I am more nostalgic today as my service in Seminole draws to a close. I am thankful for the many well wishes. I am humbled by the kind words many have shared. Brenda and I have been deeply enriched by the warmth and depth of relationships in this town and church. We pray God might call some of you to come with us. Just last night we went out to eat after a long day of cleaning the house to prepare to show it. Once again someone bought our meal. What a blessing.
I am blessed beyond comprehension. It is humbling that for the past two years people have tuned into our services via television and have heard the word of God preached. Weekly I have heard the comments, “I watch you on television.” I have always joked back to those people, “You couldn’t find something better to watch.” Seriously, I felt like a pastor to those countless faces I could not see over the airwaves. I felt like those viewers were an extended part of our congregation. It is hard to believe that God chose me for these two years to minister both in person and through the television ministry.
I love those guys and ladies who work behind the scenes to pull off each production. We have joked and we have gotten serious in the studio many times. When we had our twenty-three day revival those people sacrificed to be here every night to televise and record every service. What a blessing. What God did during those days is preserved on dvds because of their labors of love.
I have served four churches as pastor. I have never worked with a group of men who exemplified what it means to be a deacon more than here in Seminole. Those men from day one have sought to support me and to undergird me in prayer. I attended my last deacon’s meeting last Sunday night. Looking around the table I could not help but thank God for those men and for those who were out of town and not able to attend. Those guys have been a real blessing to me. You guys know you who you are and I love you. I thank God for you. I know FBC Seminole will be left in your loving, wise, and God besotted hands.
Though I have been blessed materially more than most I am most blessed in the area of relationships. Those relationships span the state of Texas from Lufkin to Marshall, from Corpus Christi to Seminole, from Weatherford to Palestine, and Odessa to Paradise. I have friends all over the state. I have people that love me, pray for me, believe in my dreams, and who have supported me. I am a blessed man.
Today I count my blessings in this office. I count them one by one as the old song goes. If you are reading this that means I am thankful for you too. I may not know your name but seated at this computer week in and week out I felt like a pastor to the many who read this though I may have never met you. I am amazed at what the Lord has done in our lives. Everywhere the Lord leads Brenda and I He has given us deep relationships. I am so humbled to be the recipient of so much love.
Lord, while most are still sleeping I come with a simple prayer. Thank you for blessing me with relationships. My life is so much richer because of the people in Seminole, Lufkin, Burke, Paradise, Weatherford, and Hudson where we have served. I thank you for the staff I have worked with. I thank you for the deacons. I thank you for the youth workers. I thank you for those who labor with the children. I thank you for those who labor behind the scenes in the television ministry here in Seminole. I thank you for the sweet senior adults who have embraced my family. I thank you for the younger adults we have attended ball games together. I thank you for those who work behind the scenes to further your kingdoms. Thank you for that remnant of ladies who meet early each morning to intercede for Seminole and who have undergirded me in prayer for the last year. I also thank you for those crazy ten families in Paradise who believe you over the obstacles and dare to dream your dream of starting Faith Community Church. I am humbled by their love and sacrifice. None of us know what we are getting into. I just know you have called us and we each said yes.
On this early Friday morning I have a grateful heart. There are so many memories in this room. I can think of encounter after encounter with you. At times you changed the direction of a message at the last moment. At other times you lifted my burdens. You gave me counsel in times of confusion. What I think I will remember most is how for the last seven months you reverberated one message into my soul. “Follow Me.” I know if I keep doing that the blessings of relationships will keep coming. On this day I count my blessings. I thank you for what you have done in my family’s life through the sweet people of Seminole. Please send them a better pastor and more anointed preacher than me who will stay and serve for decades. In Jesus name, amen. [I Thess 1:2-3]
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