Girded with garments & giggles: Pile of paper praises (some call them cards)

Last night I experienced a very sweet surprise.

In ministry there are so many ups and downs.

There are times where you feel like you are on top of the world but others when you feel like you've had your heart ripped out. BUT.......there are those moments that are so profound and life changing! These big moments usually happen while out at AAB or working with the homeless or at XYC... there are so many of these wonderful moments that they far out number and are so powerful they outweigh any up or down you can encounter.

Well, last night we had one of the sweetest surprises in our entire time here in Austin. We went to church for a Night of Worship that was scheduled to begin at 6pm. When Scott and I walked in the other pastors and pastors wives were sitting in the lobby and everyone else was being permitted to go in just not us.... I quickly remembered that it has been Pastors Appreciation Month and figured there was something in store but, nothing prepared me for what it was.

I walked through the doors to have my breath taken away by a beautiful banquet table with gorgeous linens, stemware, flowers, decor and candles! At one end of the table was my name on a place card with Scott right next to me..But there were only 12 chairs?

It was set for the Pastors, wives and their children. Some of our congregation members had made us a wonderful dinner. We started with salads, then had a meal adn a dessert. We sat there as some of the women and men of the congregation served our food and drinks. It was so sweet.

Throughout the evening different people stood up and shared with everyone what we meant to them individually and as a whole. Someone even sang a song to us (all the Pastors)! It was a amazing! And soooo thoughtful! As the night came to a close, people from HCC were coming up and placing gift bags and cards in front of us. In front of us laid a pile of paper praises (some call them cards)! I will forever cherish each of the cards, as I read them and looked around, I could not hold back the tears. It really touched me to see how much we are loved!

I have always known that we have the best church members in the world, I don't think you can find anyone more loving than HCC (so Im a bit partial to our members).

Last night we laughed together, we cried together, we broke bread together but more importantly.... we worshipped together doing one of the greatest things Jesus ever taught us to do, We loved one another!