Impact

This past weekend was special, really, really special.  Our son-in-law had been studying for his ordination into the ministry for quite some time, and this past weekend was the time for him to sit before a council of godly men and give a defence for his doctrinal statement.  That was on Saturday.

It was a long, grueling four or so hours as the men asked questions and Andrew gave a biblical answer about what he believes God’s Word teaches.  But it was even more than just getting the right answer – it was also stating his call from God into the Gospel ministry.  He didn’t just decide one day to “be a preacher.”  No, as a young lad, he had heard God’s Spirit leading him to be a preacher of the Word of God.

For years he has been praying, preparing, preaching, and looking forward to the day when it would all be official, and he would be in a place of serving God full-time.  That time is now, and that place is at Boones Creek Bible Church. Our church. Wonder of wonders that only God could have done.  It wasn’t planned or sought after by us – it was all the Lord’s doings and we stand amazed.

Below is a picture of Alli and Andrew on Saturday.  They took a break from questions to have lunch.  Many sweet ladies at church provided a fried chicken dinner (what else would you serve a group of preachers?!).  We were so grateful for each who cooked or served.

While Saturday was special, Sunday eclipsed it by far.  Sunday morning’s service was given to the ordaining Andrew for the ministry.  My husband preached a great message about why we lay hands on a young preacher, what the church’s responsibility to Andrew is, and then he challenged Andrew about his responsibility to the ministry.  I cried so many happy tears that I’m sure it looked like I never applied makeup that morning!  But, oh, the joy of seeing our deacons and my husband gather around him to pray God’s blessing and power for his ministry!  My heart was so full of God’s blessings!

How did Andrew get to this place?  It was by the impact of a praying mother who had begged God to use her son.  By the impact of his faithful pastor while he was growing up.  By the impact of a youth pastor who gave him the opportunity to preach when he was a very young man, and to use the gifts that God had put in him.  By the impact of a father-in-law and deacons who have encouraged him and welcomed him into their church to serve, to lead and to begin again this process of impacting others as he had experienced for 24 years.

This last photo below is Sunday night.  The process of impacting that I just mentioned is evidenced again as Andrew has spent a couple of months pouring into the young teens in the youth group at BCBC.  He’s been helping those that wanted to prepare a short message to preach in our Sunday night service.  Sunday night was the second service in which we heard young men preach.

You could hear in them the Truths they’d learned from the passage they’d chosen to preach.  You could see in them the eagerness to share what they had worked so hard to prepare.  You could hear in them the desire to be used of God as they preached.  Andrew has had impact in their lives!

Then while this young man was preaching, he was having trouble with his lapel microphone, so my husband went up, and with hands that have hooked up a mic many, many times, he hung it on young “C” so he could be heard. I wonder if God will call this young man to the ministry one day because of the impact of others?

There’s another side to this story that I’ll tell you tomorrow.  It’s my story and the work of God when I wondered where He was.  I hope you’ll come back then!

Who has had impact on your life, and how are you influencing others?

With love,