Comments on: How Not To Get Licked By Life – Part 2 http://www.mikepottersblog.com/2008/09/how-not-to-get-licked-by-life-part-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-not-to-get-licked-by-life-part-2 On life, learning, love, and laughter. Sat, 14 Jan 2012 01:09:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.mikepottersblog.com/2008/09/how-not-to-get-licked-by-life-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-59 Anonymous Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:49:00 +0000 http://www.mikepottersblog.com/?p=17#comment-59 Mike...your lesson is powerful. I just wanted to share a pastor's experience (pastor to pastor, I suppose) that was related to me during my family visit to Shreveport. I attended my brother's church, Broadmoor Baptist Church last Sunday. Evidently, the week before, the senior pastor gave his sermon to the early church service as usual. At the second service, he humbly got up and stated that he just couldn't speak to the worshipers at that hour. He told them he had suffered for years in secret with depression and panic attacks. The Lord answered his prayers with a denial to take this pain away. He was having a bout with his illness. I'm sure he felt humiliated in front of the congregation that looked to him for a message of truth. He probably felt so weakened at that moment and ashamed of not fulfilling his responsibilities on that Sunday, ashamed of having nothing to offer the worshipers. Instead, the congregation held a prayer meeting at his suggestion, and he left for the day.<br/><br/>The next Sunday,the one I attended, he was full of vigor, humor,and calmness. He gave a wonderful message to us about the purpose of pain and trials. His momentary humiliation was over and he was not at all defeated by the experience. It gave him the testimony of gratefulness. He preached to us to be grateful for those painful moments because God has gone before us in time to prepare this situation we are to face. Christ has endured in it with us, giving us truths to remember for our continued pleasure. God had given this pastor a great measure of strength to endure, peace, and continued joy throughout the time of trouble. Then, when it subsides (I say it this way because some pains and trials return over and over. They aren't necessarily permanently removed.)he opens our heart and mind to see why He gave us this lesson and delayed our joy and calmness. This pastor held his head high this past Sunday, not in pride, but in recognition of the God who upheld him, walked the walk with him, and brought him through another episode of the testing of his faith and another testimony experience for others to view and be strong in.<br/><br/>I saw this pastor as a very strong, faithful teacher of the Word, who was not destroyed by being laid out in pain in front of the public eye. The Lord built him up again during that week at home. He remembered, through the Spirit who teaches and restores, that it would be another moment in time before his testimony of faithfulness would be seen. He was patient and waited. The pain may be now and here with no relief in sight, but dress yourself with the armor of God, as Mike teaches. Look with hope and thanksgiving for the time that your experience will affect others' faith. Mike…your lesson is powerful. I just wanted to share a pastor’s experience (pastor to pastor, I suppose) that was related to me during my family visit to Shreveport. I attended my brother’s church, Broadmoor Baptist Church last Sunday. Evidently, the week before, the senior pastor gave his sermon to the early church service as usual. At the second service, he humbly got up and stated that he just couldn’t speak to the worshipers at that hour. He told them he had suffered for years in secret with depression and panic attacks. The Lord answered his prayers with a denial to take this pain away. He was having a bout with his illness. I’m sure he felt humiliated in front of the congregation that looked to him for a message of truth. He probably felt so weakened at that moment and ashamed of not fulfilling his responsibilities on that Sunday, ashamed of having nothing to offer the worshipers. Instead, the congregation held a prayer meeting at his suggestion, and he left for the day.

The next Sunday,the one I attended, he was full of vigor, humor,and calmness. He gave a wonderful message to us about the purpose of pain and trials. His momentary humiliation was over and he was not at all defeated by the experience. It gave him the testimony of gratefulness. He preached to us to be grateful for those painful moments because God has gone before us in time to prepare this situation we are to face. Christ has endured in it with us, giving us truths to remember for our continued pleasure. God had given this pastor a great measure of strength to endure, peace, and continued joy throughout the time of trouble. Then, when it subsides (I say it this way because some pains and trials return over and over. They aren’t necessarily permanently removed.)he opens our heart and mind to see why He gave us this lesson and delayed our joy and calmness. This pastor held his head high this past Sunday, not in pride, but in recognition of the God who upheld him, walked the walk with him, and brought him through another episode of the testing of his faith and another testimony experience for others to view and be strong in.

I saw this pastor as a very strong, faithful teacher of the Word, who was not destroyed by being laid out in pain in front of the public eye. The Lord built him up again during that week at home. He remembered, through the Spirit who teaches and restores, that it would be another moment in time before his testimony of faithfulness would be seen. He was patient and waited. The pain may be now and here with no relief in sight, but dress yourself with the armor of God, as Mike teaches. Look with hope and thanksgiving for the time that your experience will affect others’ faith.

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