Wow! That is the only word that can come out of my mouth when I think about where I have been the past couple weeks and month.

As many of you know it has been a trying couple of weeks for myself and my family. It has been just 2 weeks ago yesterday, as I write this article, that we laid to rest my grandfather for the final time. It was an event that we had anticipated for a little bit but it doesn’t always make the process of saying “goodbye” to someone you loved so dearly any easier.

Yet as I look back on that week I notice a couple of things I want to share with you. First off, it is great to have such a caring and wonderful church family. I can’t begin to even try to put into words the source of encouragement that you all gave to me, and my family during this time. Whether you provided food, and trust me it was “comfort food” at its best, sent cards letting us know we were being prayed for, or stopped by the funeral home it let us know that there are brothers and sisters in Christ that truly want to “carry our burdens” for us.

It was and is the prayers that you lift up on our behalf daily that got us through that trying time. I know that God heard your prayer and allowed the funeral service to go great. The Word of God proclaimed to those who were there as we got to visit with grandpa one last time. You will never know exactly how many people were touched through your prayers until we reach the other side of glory.

Another thing I learned: God is faithful. Amen to that. Throughout that whole week I was able to see God’s faithfulness and provision for me. As many of you know it was a week that included funeral services and burial, regular church activities, and then a wedding to officiate at the end of the week. When you put those three things together you know that unless God proves himself to be faithful and provide the energy, strength, and necessary sleep you won’t be able to make it to the end of the week. Just like God, he came through and I am still here able to write this article to you.

Thridly, the love of a family is great. I hope that you all have an opportunity to just get together with your family often and enjoy the gifts that God has given you. After all, you might as well enjoy them because you can’t always choose who you are related to. For me this happened on Saturday as we all got to breath maybe for the first time. Due to my brother’s wedding most of my family from out of town was in to visit. We as a family took the time to get together and enjoy what we had to share.

For us, like many families, this included eating a whole lot of food and asking the provebial question: Will we have enough food? Of course we always do have enough food, and on this day we had plenty of love and comfort to share with each other. When was the last time that you had something like this with your family? I encourage you to find time to be with your family and enjoy them while you have. You never know when they won’t be around.

In closing I just want to encourage you as you have encouraged me. Truly this group of people acted as the “body of Christ” to my family and I. When people show others truly God has a smile on his face. Truly he is pleased when we are his hands and feet to those in need. I hope and pray that what you show to me is what all of us will show to every person who walks through the doors of our church and for those that don’t even come to our church. When we do this we can truly live out the song titled “If We Are the Body” by Casting Crowns. Join me as I try to show others the hands and feet of Christ through my daily actions. God Bless and thanks.