The fact is, life is good, but I’ll let you follow in my footsteps for one day, so that you can get a glimpse of my work. Last Friday was pretty typical.
I’m up at about 6:00 a.m. to prepare for my Synoptic Gospels class at PLBC. After ablutions, I sit in my home office to read, study, pray and prepare a three hour lesson for my class of 32 students. The class was about the way that Jesus trained his 12 disciples, (with application to our own leadership development), and about how he led people into a relationship with the Father. It’s a very interesting subject about how Jesus actually got his followers to be “born again.” I think that the students were surprised that He never had an alter call and never led them in the “sinner’s prayer.”In the car at 8:00 a.m., I usually stick on a tape with teaching on it -- I love listening to sermons, courses or whatever I can find, while I drive. On Friday my lesson was on the Jewish covenants. From 8:45 to 12:15 I lectured and talked with students about Jesus’ model of leadership and evangelism. I walked away with about three hours of paperwork to mark.
On the way back to the office, I stopped at the hospital to visit a woman from our church, who was in for a short stay. Usually I can make 3 or 4 phone calls in the car. Back at the office by 1:30, I talked with the secretaries about Sunday and other projects they were working on, made a couple of other phone calls and prepared for my first session.
A young couple, I’m getting to know and love, are planning to get married. As always, I’d assigned them homework and so we talked about their upcoming marriage for the hour we were together. The time went almost too fast. My secretary called and said my next appointment was here and waiting.My 3:00 p.m. meeting was with a dear friend and pastor who’d been suffering from some personal failures and needed someone to talk with. We try to meet regularly and he makes himself accountable to me and others in his journey back to wholeness.
I had a problem by 4:00 p.m. session. Two appointments came at the same time. With 2 church offices and 3 secretaries, double ups sometimes happen. So I spoke with the one lady first. She had come to church with a friend and heard about the love of Father God and wanted to pursue a relationship with God. I loved listening to her. She knew she needed help, but how could she entrust her life to a God whom she didn’t know? Good question.
I talked with her, got to know her a bit, gave her some homework and made another appointment. I’m looking forward to our next dialogue. I love the miracle of a new birth – especially the spiritual, eternal kind.
The other visit was with two people (and a third who came for support) who were working through a prickly relationship issue. Our talk went much better than they’d hoped. Both of them went away pleased with what we’d talked about and some homework. I usually give work for people to do – it shows me how serious they are, and also helps the person(s) grow through their issues.
By 6:00 p.m. I was home with my beautiful wife and we were ready to spend the evening cooking and preparing for Susan’s mom’s 90th party on Saturday (see previous post about that celebration!).
So, that's an average day for me.
Barry
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