This is the path and my new place for getting alone with God. That’s my house in the background. And this is the new path I cut on land I don’t own to a pond that is not mine either. But it is a short walk from my garden and with the chair in a pack and my Bible in one hand and coffee in the other, it gives me a new place to meet with Jesus. For the last two months, this has been the most frequent place to step away from ministry, yard work and neighborhood interaction and listen to the voice of God in His word. As long as there is light and no rain, it is an almost perfect, private place filled with the croaking of frogs and the jumping of small toads and the swimming of a multitude of South Carolina mud turtles.
This path cuts through what was a forest. Last year the town of Rock Hill and the owner of the pond combined together to denude the forest, build a spillway for a much smaller pond and planted the former forest with a cereal rye grass that is 6 feet high in places. The engineering on the spill way was not well done, and since it was created I have been working nearly every day to strengthen the dam face and trying to increase the level of water in the pond. It is working. The once very porous dam is now less porous and is faithfully holding about a foot more water over its .75 acre. Better for the turtles, better for the frogs, better for the geese that frequent the pond in the winter and spring. And the bonus, is, I now have a semi-private place to read my Bible and pray.
At present, I need a place like this more than perhaps any time in all my years of ministry. Turns out, caring for burned out, burning out or broken pastors is a ministry that 45 years of ministry is not enough experience. I, and all the field shepherds of Standing Stone Ministry, need nothing short of the supernatural power of God to give these men the care and attention they need. Sitting in that chair, working through my list of 30+ pastors, missionaries and Christian leaders, lifting them up in prayer and writing down notes for my next meeting, phone call, text, or Zoom appointment is what they need, but it is also what I need, as God speaks and I try to listen. Those times of prayer are vital to making my times with these men more effective. Unfortunately, the recipients of great grace in our churches are not always gracious and kind toward the flawed men who seek to care for them. It shouldn’t be, but it too often is true.
So pray for me and my bride as we seek to restore these men and women of God to spiritual health and stability after soul-harrowing periods of ministry in their churches and personal lives. They need us to be strong in the Lord so we can help them become strong in the Lord themselves. If you would like to know more about our ministry or if you know of a pastor who might need a friend, send me a text or email at Chosen-Rebel@hotmail.com.
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