Midweek Moment

Yesterday was a very humbling day for me. As many of you know I was invited to appear before the Florida Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, for the purposes of evaluating my petition for ordination. This is a very arduous process and takes a vast amount of effort and time to complete. And as I stated Sunday, it was weighing on my mind. I truly wanted this to be a "one and done" type of experience, meaning I would pass this time, my first time, before the Board.

With my interview taking place in Leesburg, on Tuesday morning at 8 A.M., I went down Monday evening and got a hotel room. My thought was, that way I would not have to deal with traffic or possibly being late, traveling from Ocala, and would place myself in a position for a generally easy morning. However, I still expected to wake up Tuesday morning with my stomach in knots.

My alarm went off and I noticed I was rather relaxed. As the 8 o'clock hour approached I was still waiting for the nervousness. It never came. I was anxious to begin the interview, to get the process started, but never nervous about how I would perform. It took a me until I got home last night to reflect and realize why.

It was you! It was all of you thinking about me and praying for me. It was your prayers for God to be with me and the Holy Spirit to work through me. As I was waiting between interviews, as I was waiting for my decision, as I was answering the questions being asked of me, my mind was calm and the answers I was searching for were clear. I was able to focus, speak articulately, and exhibit a non-anxious presence. Your prayers for me were why everything went as well as it did. Your prayers played a vital role in the Board recommending me for Ordination. Your prayers helped me to pass!

I have always believed in the power of prayer and yesterday I was proof of it. There are numerous places in Scripture where it talks about the power of prayer, but for us today, I want to turn to Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In all we do, in all we are, go to God. There is no request too big, no desire too small. God wants to hear your desires, God wants to hear your cares, God wants to come through for you. Yesterday was a very important day in my life. A day that I will remember for a very long time. A day that was made possible by prayer, by your support, and by God's blessings!

Thank you to all of you! Your support, your prayers, your affirmations, and your love helped me more than words can express yesterday. I was never nervous, never in knots, never felt stress. You and your support of me were the reason. So, thank you again!

Have a great week!