By Glenna Marshall

We don’t have to be strong for others. We don’t have to be unmoved by sorrows or stresses. We don’t have to pretend that life is easy for us. We only have to run to the One who is always strong, always good, and always full of steadfast love. As the Lord sustains us, we can point others to His faithfulness that will never disappoint.

By Kellye Carmack

as believers we have been adopted into one family. We are brothers and sisters who share the common bond of being raised to new life in Christ. A new life and a new family where grace and love can abound because we are the children of the God who is love. Through His church, God gives us the gifts of experiencing His rich love and mercies if we will just open our hands to receive.

By Glenna Marshall

Safe in-person friendships in ministry are gifts to celebrate, even if they only last for a season. These bursts of friendships are often gifts of God’s grace to us during times of extreme suffering and isolation. Regardless of the length of the season, safe friendships are expressions of the Lord’s care for us. When we view friendships as gifts from God rather than rights to be claimed, we can cherish them deeply while holding them loosely.

By Kellye Carmack

This pandemic has been like a never-ending tornado, disturbing or destroying everything it touches. We all know the church has been hit in different ways. Congregations have lost beloved members to COVID and have seen others become seriously ill. As services and meetings have decreased, church members feel disconnected and frustrated.

By Glenna Marshall

It’s been a strange, stressful three months for the church. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that we were not meant to be apart. Three weeks ago, our church began meeting in the parking lot—first in our cars and then in lawn chairs. That first week in the parking lot, I heard the distinct voices of my church family as we sang “The Doxology” at the end of the service, and tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn’t sing around the knot in my throat. On March 15th, a reprieve from church felt a little like a vacation following some ministry burnout. But, standing in the shade of the big trees in front of our church building so many weeks later, I listened to the voices nearest me, and I realized why even an outdoor service felt like a gift all these weeks later: we were meant to be together.

“It feels like heavy weights pressing down on my shoulders.”

“I would describe it like rope tied tight around my chest making it hard to breathe.”

“To me it is like rocks just sitting in my stomach.”

As I talk with pastor’s wives these are some statements I hear when they are describing the weight of expectations being placed upon them. Honestly, these are some of the words I have used to describe the same weight I often experience.

Today, perhaps more than ever, you have situations that you hope will change but no guarantee that God will change them the way you have asked. You feel like all you can do is pray, hold your breath and wait. The good news that you can be sure of is Jesus will never leave you. Your circumstances can change in an instant, but Jesus is always good and never changes.

As I’ve reflected on what God might want me to learn during these financially shaky days, I’ve been reminded that anytime he calls us to suffer in ministry, he is teaching us to lean more heavily on him than on our abilities or resources.