Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Disappointments or Doors?

Lately I have started to realize that when you become a pastor and plant a new church, sometimes people and things are going to disappoint you. I know this is not a new revelation for a lot of you that read these sort of things; and I grew up in a pastor's home, so I should really know better...but, you never really know that feeling until it happens to "your" ministry. You feel the sting. Sometimes it comes from out of nowhere - "I never saw that coming!" And sometimes you can see it coming, but you somehow hope for the best and believe the best - until you're flat on your back.

What I have also begun to realize is that most of these "disappointments" are God's way of speaking to me. A few of them are just the result of bad burritos that morning, but mostly it happens when I start to think that it's "my ministry" and I am in control. When I take a step back and say "ok God, it's not about me", I can then see that God was closing a door that I was trying force open with my power. I have to admit that I am not the super-spiritual type that can hear God in an audible voice. Sometimes He has to take a bat to my head and remind me that He is in control. It's just that some people are 32 oz. bats and others are 40. Still learning...

2 comments:

Rick said...

i try to make the "bad burritos" excuse stick as best i can. hust a thought.

great site - glad to see another seacoast pastor on the blog bandwagon :)

Chris Surratt said...

Thanks Felipe for your comments. I'm glad that you found me from across the border!