We recently had to take our car to a mechanic. The repair was supposed to be pretty simple and quick, taking only a couple of hours one morning. Of course it turned into two full days of work over the course of a week. While it was terribly inconvenient, there was a silver lining: Johnny the marvelous mechanic. Not only was he overly apologetic about the process taking so long, he also stuck with completing the job after the first two parts he ordered did not work. It reminded me of a verse I recently came across in Exodus describing the work of the people in constructing the tabernacle:
“According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so they had done it. Then Moses blessed them.” – Exodus 39:42-43
When Moses watched the faithfulness of the people in following the Lord’s commands, he was blessed. In the same way, when I experienced the faithfulness of my mechanic, I was blessed. Even more so, as I watch the individuals who make up our little congregation, I am greatly blessed. It is such a blessing as a pastor to serve a group of people who take seriously the work of the Lord. Thank you so much for the way that you love one another, serve one another, encourage one another, bear one another’s burdens, and the list goes on and on. You are all “marvelous mechanics” in my book!
Ben
Below are some articles I have recently found helpful:
Keep Doing the Small Things
What Is a Church?
Friendships Are Worth the Risk
Aging for God's Glory
I'll See You in Heaven