I wrote this almost a year ago..... thought I might pull it out again and share it since Pastor Appreciation Month is coming in October..... Just a few thoughts from the back row ...... and living with a PK after the fact...... You never know the impact you will have on people for generations to come.... My husband is a very private man so to share his personal stories require his permission....and he has allowed me to share this part of his life....I hope you will take the time to read.... He was one of 5 children.... a middle son of a DEVOUT southern Baptist preacher back in the days when preachers were mostly bi-voctional and lived in parsonages under the telescope of church members day in and day out.... His dad was a hard working man who worked a full time job to provide for his large family as well as maintaining his position as Shepherd of congregations in South Arkansas and Louisiana for very little pay but a full plate of responsibility as he cared deeply for his flocks.... Terry has shared with me what it was like to be a PK.... always expected to act a certain way... always looked down on by members if they acted up.... the knocks on the door at all hours of the day and night.... the call outs during the night... the evenings his dad spent away ministering.... the sick people that were visited... the funerals performed... the maintenance of a church building and church members.... the fights and feuds that his dad had to referee.... the disillusionment of a little boy when he overheard the people his dad had loved and poured his heart out for would talk about him in muffled whispers and fuss at him because he had let them down and then be ugly to the family because something didnt go their way..... each time Terry and his brothers and sisters saw and heard it... it left deep rooted scars.... scrapes across their spirit that would leave hardness that wouldnt be revealed until years later....layers of unnoticed pain..... He watched his daddy who loved the Lord walk through the fire of ministry.... stand on the front lines proclaiming the gospel of Jesus.... giving up family time to care for the needs of others.... and be ravaged and devoured by the very flocks that he fed each day of the week.... not just on Sunday...... After years of leading congregations.... preaching the word..... raising a family..... following Jesus as closely as he could.... the pressure of the call becme too much.... and this strong man crumbled under the weight of not being able to please them all..... he broke under the strain of the expectations that he could not possibly meet.... he stood before his church and walked away from it all...... from them all.... it was too much..... I dont believe it was his desire to leave mass devastation, I think he just couldnt do it anymore.... his humanness was not enough for them.... he couldnt do it all.... he couldnt live up to the demands anymore so he did what he knew to do to survive..... he escaped......and he ran leaving a wake of destruction and irrepairable damage to his wife and children.... it wasnt his nature to hurt... it wasnt his personality to run....but he did and I believe he lived the remainder of his days grief stricken and heart broken but I know without a doubt he was repentant and forgiven..... the results and the consequences left a broken family..... scarred to the bones..... never recovered..... and hardened by the institution..... they believe Jesus is who He says He is.... they know who their salvation comes from......but they all sit at arms length.... never wanting to risk being hurt again by people who were seemingly trustworthy..... I share all of this for one reason..... be careful what you say about your pastor.... they are human.... they are only men..... not superheros who can meet all expectations and be everywhere at all times..... they are real people with reall families..... who are called by GOD to shepherd..... October is Pastor Appreciation Month... instead of having him FOR lunch why not take him to lunch..... I admit I have bad mouthed pastors at times and have been disappointed in them, forgetting their humanness.... but my PK husband always rebukes me and says YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY LIVE WITH AND DEAL WITH EVERYDAY.....SO BE QUIET!! He loves JESUS.... gave his heart to HIM at 11 years old but he sits in the background because he remembers too well the battle wounds suffered on the front lines and they cost him dearly.....
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 12:29:06 +0000
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