Forty two years ago I became a follower of the risen Christ. I pursued to calling of Pastor/teacher as best I understood it, in the culture and context of my nation and historical pathway of teaching.
This conviction led me to two education institutions and degrees, many friends and experiences of learning. The degrees confired upon me opened doors to live in five different cities and work along side nine different groups of followers for various times and in various ways.
Fulfilling, dissapointing, frustrating, joyful, depressing, boring, hurtful, enraptured, weary, fearful, hopeless, sustained, struggling. There has not been an emotion or experience that I have not tasted in some form or fashion in the pursuit of the pathway of a follower of Jesus.
I have witnessed births, baptisms, weddings, sicknesses, birthdays, and funerals.
I have fished, swam, walked, golfed, biked, driven, sightseen, dined, and shared hours of entertainment with fellow believers.
I have studied, searched, questioned, debated, argued, corrected, changed convictions on hundreds of deeply important life issues and practical solutions about this thing called Christianity.
I have quit, fumed, cried, and gotten heartsick over a hundred crushing dissapointments. I have been neglectful of family, seriously underpaid at times, cruelly opposed and made the subject of twisted gossip. I have left people and places when I did not want to, and watched many prosper with what I felt were lesser gifts, may God have mercy on that thought.
But, but, but, the sense and belief in that risen Savior, who told broken Peter, to confess his love, and to follow Him. That has sustained and strengthened me, and through it all, kept me singing and hopeful and happy.
He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed. God bless you all.
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