On Being Appreciated

In every organization you work with, you will encounter those who in your mind's eye have claws and fangs. If you're blessed with it, though, you might also encounter the nicest, sweetest people you could imagine that you just want to hug all the time.

For as hard as my job is, there's a lot of people I want to hug. And do.

Last night for Pastor Appreciation Day they held a pantry shower for Pastor Eric's family and Paul and I. Our cupboards are now stocked and overflowing, and beyond milk and eggs we probably won't have to go grocery shopping for a very long time. Even if we do, we also received over $100 of gift cards for groceries, so we're well covered. It was a very cool thing for the church to do and such a blessing going into the Christmas season --- one financial worry taken away.

More important than the gifts and the "party", though, was that people went out of their way to remind me in a sincere and thoughtful manner that there are those beyond the few detractors that DO love me and want me to stay around here for a good long time. Not that I'm one to need the pats on the back, because I'm really not; as a general rule, I know if I'm doing a good job. I know if there's areas that need improvement. I don't need to hear it from others to feel good (or bad) about myself. But lately (well, since I arrived at this church) the enemy has really been plaguing me by encouraging me to take things personally, to take things to heart as though every voiced unmet expectation or unguarded expression was meant to tear my insides out and feed them to the lions.

It's so great to work under a senior pastor with clear expectations, who is also clear in communicating to others that I am doing everything that he is asking me to do. But it's also great to know that while there are those who can express disapproval because I'm not fulfilling THEIR agendas, there are also those here who love me not just because I'm doing what I've been asked or doing my best, but those who I know would love me even if I blew it.

In any other setting, I don't think I would care. But when Jesus got ahold of me and started softening my heart towards the church again, I guess I started to expect more and better. I guess there's a lot of unmet expectations going around.

But these loving people I spoke of give me hope for the body of Christ, because God is love, and they have shown that love to me at a time when my spirit has nearly starved for it. Thank God there is always hope when people are really yielded to HIS will and HIS way above their own.