August 1, 2015

The Shepherd's Corner

THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

One of the honors that Santy and I receive from being your pastors is the invitation you give us to be a part of your families—in times of health and sickness, in times of joy and sorrow. Having been invited into your homes I got the chances to know you and to see you. And, one of the things that I see is how you serve one another. I have seen wives serving their husbands and I have seen husbands serving their wives. And, both do it with love and ample patience.THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

One of the honors that Santy and I receive from being your pastors is the invitation you give us to be a part of your families—in times of health and sickness, in times of joy and sorrow. Having been invited into your homes I got the chances to know you and to see you. And, one of the things that I see is how you serve one another. I have seen wives serving their husbands and I have seen husbands serving their wives. And, both do it with love and ample patience.

Perhaps you’d say, “Paul, we’ve got all the time in the world, so we can afford to be patient with each other.” Well, it is not necessarily so. Some people are still impatient even though they have all the time in the world. I must say you patiently serve one another because you love one another and you appreciate one another.

But, I think there is one more reason why you patiently serve one another and I will tell you what it is through this illustration. When John C. Maxwell, the leadership guru, was in a hotel in New Zealand, he wanted to find a Coke machine. By accident he entered into a room with a door marked, “Staff.” Upon leaving that staff room, something caught his attention. On the in-side of the door, there is a full-length mirror with the following words, “Take a good look at yourself. This is what the customer sees.” A sobering reminder!

I believe we all can be patient with one another if we remember who we are—that one day we, too, will grow old and weak, that one day, we, too, will need a hand not only to walk but also to get up, and that one day we will forget and need reminding, again and again. I believe that is one of the reasons why you patiently love and care for one another. Yes, from time to time we need to look at ourselves in the mirror. We’re not perfect after all; we need a hand.

Pastor Paul

Perhaps you’d say, “Paul, we’ve got all the time in the world, so we can afford to be patient with each other.” Well, it is not necessarily so. Some people are still impatient even though they have all the time in the world. I must say you patiently serve one another because you love one another and you appreciate one another.

But, I think there is one more reason why you patiently serve one another and I will tell you what it is through this illustration. When John C. Maxwell, the leadership guru, was in a hotel in New Zealand, he wanted to find a Coke machine. By accident he entered into a room with a door marked, “Staff.” Upon leaving that staff room, something caught his attention. On the in-side of the door, there is a full-length mirror with the following words, “Take a good look at yourself. This is what the customer sees.” A sobering reminder!

I believe we all can be patient with one another if we remember who we are—that one day we, too, will grow old and weak, that one day, we, too, will need a hand not only to walk but also to get up, and that one day we will forget and need reminding, again and again. I believe that is one of the reasons why you patiently love and care for one another. Yes, from time to time we need to look at ourselves in the mirror. We’re not perfect after all; we need a hand.

Pastor Paul

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