Recovery wise, this week has been a very interesting week.  I have had a couple of times when I experienced a quick, sharp pain in my lower left leg near the shin similar to a needle stick.  I don’t know if it has to do with my back or because I have been on my feet so much this week.  This week we are having VBS – Vacation Bible School at our church.  It is a wonderful program and a great opportunity for us to share the gospel.  As pastor I open the assembly, share some bible verses, introduce a couple of songs and interact with the kids for about 20 minutes before we go off to the various areas.   The night is filled with bible stories, crafts, recreation and many opportunities to learn that God has expressed a great love for us by sending His Son to be our Savior.

By not being able to run or exercise for the last three months my feet are not in the same condition they were prior to the surgery.  Did I say I haven’t run in the last three months?  That part isn’t entirely true…during the recreation time the other night, some of the kids turned on me with the water balloons.  Survival instincts kicked into gear.  Adrenalin began to pump throughout my system and muscles that had not been used in 14 weeks jumped into action!  As I left a cloud of dust and a silhouette of cartoon smoke where I once was standing mere milliseconds before, I heard several people shouting, “Pastor Phil, stop running!  You are not supposed to do that!”  And as if they thought that might not stop me, I heard one of the ladies say, “I will tell your wife!”  Although I believe I had already gone back into “walk-fast” mode, I was grateful that I had some people who were looking out for my best interests and willing to speak up and correct me for something I was doing wrong.  The bible talks about that very thing.  The bible says that we are our brothers’ keepers and in Luke 17:3 Jesus said

Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

Sometimes saying something to someone is not an easy task.  It can be painful for both people involved.  Because it can be painful and uncomfortable, Jesus says in Matthew 18 if time permits we should go to our brother and do it in private and it he does not listen, we should come back with some friends and try again to speak some sense into him.  Sometimes all of us put ourselves into situations where we need our friends to speak up and warn us or rebuke us about some activity we may be engaged in or some path we may be treading on.  We should receive those words in the spirit in which they are given.

I am grateful for a congregation that loves me and has my best interests in heart.  I think I only got 4 or 5 steps in before somebody told me to slow down.  And VBS is going great!  As of last night we have had a great turn out the first 4 nights and have already had 2 of the students pray to receive Christ as Lord and Savior and one other person has asked to be baptized.  It has been an awesome week and we still have one more night of instruction and encouragement to go, followed by a party on Friday.  We serve a Mighty God and a Wonderful Savior!

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com