Ponderings from the Front Porch of the Parsonage…

Lately I have been afforded time to ponder, pray, and journal more. One morning, while reading a devotion and watching the cars exceed the 35mph speed limit on Harpersville Road, I focused on a simple word…GRATITUDE.  I began by being thankful for my family and our home. I thanked God for the beautiful morning, and the porch and chair I get to ponder in. I looked out towards our church and gave thanks for the wonderful community of Christ that is housed there. I was thankful for the Pre -School cars dropping off children, and the Mother's Day out cars dropping of children. I saw Roxy and Amanda receiving their precious students for the day and gave thanks for their dedication.

Church members started to arrive for their various ways of giving to the church. After two years I was thankful that I could recognize the cars and who was driving. So I started thinking of our church family and gave thanks for what they do to make the church special. Which led me to give thanks for the people who come to church each day. The staff and our Lay Staff received the next round of prayers of gratitude, then the Card Team, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the Dinner Theater cast and crew, the Kitchen staff and crew, the Trustees, the Finance Committee and Counters, the Flower Bed Volunteers, the Church Yard crew, the Food Pantry Volunteers, and the people who come to our Food Pantry and leave with bags of hope.

I then started to think of what we have been able to do this past year, and even the challenging times when we held onto our faith and kept moving forward for Christ. I was grateful for the way God saw us through the year right up to the present moment. I gave thanks for God's provision and the way God provides for us in ways we cannot even fathom.

I then considered the month we were now in. This month includes a holiday for gratitude, so it was natural for me to keep thinking of things I was thankful for. Which included my amazing doctors who are keeping me healthy and are happy with my work to try and stay healthy. Which got me to thinking about my parent's medical team that saw them through their challenges in September. I then thought about all of our church family's physicians and the wonderful job they do keeping us all healthy. I gave thanks for their dedicated work.

An ambulance drove by which led to prayers of gratitude for all the first responders, and for the person in need this morning.  Above F-22's from the "Hat in the Ring" squadron announced the next part of their daily training. This lead to prayers for the military, and gratitude for their dedication and sacrifice.

Needless to say, my prayer time on the front porch was long that day. But because I was in a place to simply be still, I suddenly became fully aware of all of my many, many blessings. And I was able to express to God my gratitude for all of His gifts which includes ALL OF YOU! Come December, we will all give thanks for the greatest gift of love Jesus Christ.

I close with an expression of gratitude for you, gentle reader. I thank you for your prayers and support that has followed me and my family since our arrival. I thank you for your grace while I take some time to rest, renew, and heal. I thank you for the privilege of serving you, and I thank you for this great parsonage with an amazing front porch!

Blessings,
Pastor Ken