"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." II Corinthians 5:20
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
Earlier this week i stopped in at our local "Wavaho" station to get some gas. I got out of the car and went inside to prepay. When i got inside, i ask the man behind the counter if he was a new owner. He said he was, and he went out to my car and started pumping my gas. As he pumped my gas we began to talk and he told me that he was the pastor of a small church in our town. He told me he owned a gas station previously in Madison. When he took the beer out of the store, they told him he would never make it. He took the beer out and he said the LORD blessed him abundantly there for six years.
http://darrellcreswell.
Special thanks to "the Facebook Pastor" for the name "The Gas Pump Pastor," and for the words on the gas pump photo: "Real Men of GOD pump gas."
When i went home i wanted to share with my friends on FB that we had a new service station owner in town who pumped the gas and he was a pastor. I asked the folks to go by and support him. Most of my friends were super supportive, but one dear friend didn't think he should be pastoring and working at another job. We had a lively discussion on FB about it and i finally had to go and the conversation ended. The next day a new friend on FB who is called the "Facebook Pastor," read the conversation and asked me if he could write a blog about the gas pump pastor. I was really honored and i thought you might be blessed as i was to read what GOD impressed upon his heart to write:
"The Gas Pump and Pastor Jack- of -All-Trades- Bivocational Ministers"
Special thanks to "the Facebook Pastor" for the name "The Gas Pump Pastor," and for the words on the gas pump photo: "Real Men of GOD pump gas."
The next morning i went by the Wavaho station and told the pastor/service station owner about what had happened on FB and about the "Facebook Pastor" who wrote a blog about him. He started reading it on my Iphone and he stopped and said he would have to read the rest of it at home. I could tell he was overcome with emotion. He told me to get anything i wanted in the store and i took a bottle of water to make him happy. I started to shake his hand as i left and he said no he wanted a hug. I could tell he really was encouraged that GOD had put it on someone's heart to write about him.
Before i left, a man came in and he was older and his shoulders were kind of slumped. He said he was tired and that his wife was in the hospital. I asked him about her, and he just opened up and started talking about her. It dawned on me right then and there what an opportunity this "gas pump pastor" has to be used for CHRIST right there at that service station where he follow's CHRIST's example and pumps the gas for women and the elderly. I told him pumping the gas is such a witness now because now one else does it. He is a LIGHT shining in the darkness for CHRIST as he serves the women and elderly, and every time someone pulls up to the pump and walks through the doors of his humble gas station, that is his mission field....an opportunity to minister to someone who needs to know CHRIST or just needs a listening ear, or needs to be encouraged.
As i drove by that service station yesterday morning with the snow flakes swirling, i had a strange warm feeling in my heart. I wanted to drive by there, and i wanted to pray for that pastor and his mission field at the service station...all those people he would get to talk to that day about JESUS because he ran a gas station.
Today as i was thinking about "the gas pump pastor," i thought of my own dear husband who runs a catfish/barbque restaurant http://www.oldgreenbrier.com/aboutus.html
and a bail bond business, and that is his mission field. I struggled so badly when my husband had to leave the "full time" church he pastored because of my sickness. If it hadn't been for his mom and dad helping us financially we wouldn't have been able to stay at the church as long as we did without him taking another job. My heart was warmed thinking about our little restaurant that sits at the corner of a four way stop being my husband's mission field and all who go in and out the doors have special needs, hurts, joys, or need CHRIST JESUS. The bailbond business has given Johnny so many opportunities to witness and help out families who find themselves in a position they never expected to be in. I have marveled at my husband's patience and kindness to these families who call at all times of the day and night and he gets many opportunities to share CHRIST with his "flock."
and a bail bond business, and that is his mission field. I struggled so badly when my husband had to leave the "full time" church he pastored because of my sickness. If it hadn't been for his mom and dad helping us financially we wouldn't have been able to stay at the church as long as we did without him taking another job. My heart was warmed thinking about our little restaurant that sits at the corner of a four way stop being my husband's mission field and all who go in and out the doors have special needs, hurts, joys, or need CHRIST JESUS. The bailbond business has given Johnny so many opportunities to witness and help out families who find themselves in a position they never expected to be in. I have marveled at my husband's patience and kindness to these families who call at all times of the day and night and he gets many opportunities to share CHRIST with his "flock."
 |
| Our "Mission Field" |
Yes it was difficult when we left the "full time," ministry, to transition to another "fulltime," ministry for CHRIST. Going in the family Barbque business WAS NOT the place i wanted GOD to use us i can assure you of that. GOD has used "The Gas Pump Pastor," and the words of the FB Pastor to encourage my heart in the place where GOD has had us serving him the past 20 years. A "full time" church, no...but a "full time" mission field yes. Whether GOD has you on the mission field pumping gas, cooking hushpuppies, selling insurance, being a "Facebook Pastor, " or a doctor, or an evangelist like Billy Graham, HE knows just the place HE has created for us to know HIM and share the salvation that is found in CHRIST alone with others.
"Our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST is the actual power house and abiding in HIM, that is, plugged into HIM by faith, we transmit HIS saving power to others." Hannah Hurnard, GOD's Transmitters
"Our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST is the actual power house and abiding in HIM, that is, plugged into HIM by faith, we transmit HIS saving power to others." Hannah Hurnard, GOD's Transmitters
This morning, the LORD brought this beautiful song across my path called, "Give Me JESUS," sung by Fernando Ortega. http://www.youtube.com/watch?
It's taken me a long time to be content where GOD has us serving HIM. I confess i still struggle at times, but GOD has used "The Gas Pump Pastor," to inspire me to realize the family business is our mission field to serve HIM just as HE is using "the Gas Pump Pastor" to reach the world for HIM. I hope and pray GOD will use these words to encourage your heart in the place that GOD has you on the mission field...reaching the lost for CHRIST.
With all HIS love,
mitzi
No comments:
Post a Comment