If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters,[a] you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
Those of you who are regular readers of this Blog know that I am approaching my five year mark of living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Anyone who has walked through a trauma, such as a horrible diagnosis, knows that there are days within the nightmare that are darker than others. One of my days was the morning after being told that there was cancer all over my bones. Jon went to work in a stunned state, I had kids to attend to and get off to school. We were trying to function for them like normal. After the kids were gone, my Dad called and said he wanted to come up to the house and be with me. We sat in each other's arms and cried. I was in physical and emotional pain, and I felt as if I was dying. We attend a rather large church, and it was in transition at this time. We were searching for a senior pastor, and although we have always had a great staff of associate ministers, I was not involved in activities that put them directly in my path to where I had a deep relationship with them. As I sat with my Dad, I said to him, "I feel as if I don't have a minister right now to work through this dark time."
Because I have grown up in the church, I know what it means to have a minister. A person committed to prayer and sound Biblical advice. Someone to know you and be the one to help navigate you through the trials of life. Someone invested in you who can stand up and speak for you (when the time comes) and give words of comfort to loved ones. They share the joys of life and give comfort when the waves threaten to overtake you.
As my Dad and I sat there crying, the phone rang. Something told me to answer it. It was Adam Donner, our young and fairly new Family Ministry Associate Pastor. He called to pray with me and offer any help he could give. We talked for a few minutes about the latest news, and then he said, "Sandy I want to be your minister through this." Those were the exact words that I had said to my father just minutes before! The word "minister" rang in my ear like God had just said them to me Himself.
God provided a minister that day. Adam came to the hospital and prayed for me and with my family. He has been the first one that I give good or bad news to, and he has provided great comfort and reassurance in the past five years. Adam was the one to anoint me with oil in my healing service.
Jesus said, "I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever." John 14:16
Many people don't understand the Holy Spirit's function on earth. When you are a committed follower of Jesus Christ, His Spirit lives within you. There are often times when you feel a nudging from inside, and it is the Holy Spirit calling you to do something. Adam Donner is in tune to that calling, and does it with great compassion and love for others.
Today is the last day Adam Donner will be working at Glenkirk. He has taken on a Senior Pastor position at Pomona's Presbyterian Church. They can't even begin to fathom how blessed they are to have him. Adam not only answered the prompting to walk along side me in my time of need, but he has been the walking heart of Glenkirk's campus. I know he loves the seniors at the church, and they adore him. He has established a great ministry that reaches out to families and helps parents be connected with each other. He is always encouraging me (and the congregation) to get out of our comfort zone and be a light in our neighborhood for Christ.
Adam is very tall. Very tall. He is a tower of love and light, and is a great hugger and has an amazing smile and demeanor about him that shines God's love wherever he goes. He is a calm and steady man, who is faithful in his own relationship with Christ and sound Biblical teaching. He is truly the apple of God's eye.
It is with great sadness I say good-bye to Adam, but not forever. Our church will be keeping in touch with Adam's new congregation in partnering in any way we can. And of course, there will always be our reunion someday in heaven. I will miss catching Adam's eye and getting my hug for the day. I will miss popping into his office and rejoicing over God's amazing work. I will miss his lovely wife Amy, who is also a light for Christ and a comforting presence.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. Psalm 145:18
Thank you Adam for being my minister and friend. I know there will never be a final good-bye between us. We have too many ways in which our paths will cross again.
Love,
Sandy
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