My beloved bride, Renita knew what I needed and send the following to me. Thanks to Laura Boyd for the original post and glad to forward it...from the Wildwood.
Inspired by the popularity of Ram's "God Made a Farmer" Super Bowl commercial...
God Made a Preacher
God looked down on the earth he created and said, "Man has left me with his sin and I need to bring him back"; and so,
... God Made a Preacher...
God said. “I need a man who will talk with Me, starting each day and every day in prayer and will not cease to pray about anything and everything, then having spent all day serving Me, will stay up past midnight listening to Me through my word.”;
So God Made a Preacher...
"I need someone with tough skin, tough enough to handle the harshest critics without retaliating, and gentle enough to comfort those who have been wrongly treated; Somebody to call on the sick, listen to the hurting, help with other’s problems and come home hungry and tired, only to put his own needs aside, and hurry right back out to share with someone the good news of Jesus.”
So God Made a Preacher...
God said, “I need someone to sit up all night with parents whose teenager has run away or whose child is sick to death. I need someone who each week can prepare two sermons from scratch; teach Bible class on a moment’s notice; write a bulletin article worth reading, that few will read; study diligently to understand every word of God’s word so that he can communicate it effectively to others; follow-up with visitors; conduct regular Bible studies; one who will typically finish his 40 hour week by Tuesday noon, then put in another 72 before Sunday comes.”
So God Made a Preacher...
God had to have someone to calm the angry, encourage the faith-hearted, motivate the lazy, strengthen the faithful, promote evangelism, squelch gossip, all without failing; yet, ready to stop at any point and help with some members ‘crisis;
So God Made a Preacher...
God said, “I need somebody strong enough to never show weakness, and yet weak enough to show patience. One who can be an example in word, thoughts, deeds, study, prayer and service; and who will stop his most important work to help with someone else’s simple task.
So God Made a Preacher....
It had to be someone who would dig deep in scripture, prepare messages and not cut corners; somebody to seed, weed and feed the souls of men. To teach and preach and reach those who are lost; to show the light everywhere and go spread the light anywhere; to work with everyone and to work when no one will. Someone whose invests in the family of God as he invests in his own family, giving neither preference over the other. A man who will rejoice with those rejoicing and cry with those who are weeping; he will show humility, wisdom, patience and strength in every situation. Then with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye, get up tomorrow, ready to do it again.
So God Made a Preacher.
I recall one of the first "youth rallies" I attended. I was excited...didn't know what it was all about. We did not have a "youth minister" where I grew up, ut some of the older guys went off to college at Lipscomb (one of them my cousin, Don) and sent word back about a youth rally in McMinnville. Loved it. As years went by, I found myself organizing youth days and youth rallies. Still love them. And I am REALLY going to love this one because it is at my home congregation where I've labored for ten years. Chris Clevenger is one of my favorite young gospel preachers. Not only will he be the speaker at our yoth day, but he will also be the preacher for our revival gospel meeting the next day. 