Tag: support

Where did you last have it? by Rev. Jim Hobby, House of Gladness, Thomastown, Georgia

But God restores joy

Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Note from Debbie: If you are a pastor or perceive that your pastor has lost his or her joy, contact the House of Gladness to schedule a retreat, a time to be heard and supported in one of the most difficult jobs on earth. Here’s an idea: Make it a gift from your congregation for Father’s Day. Write to Jim for availability: jim@houseofgladness.com.

As we talk with pastors, we continue to hear a deep weariness in their voices. The partisan ethos of our culture has so thoroughly marinated their congregations that every slight difference of opinion in the congregation often becomes a major point of disagreement that requires stances to be taken by the leadership of the congregation. Who knew that green carpets were signs of complete capitulation to the works of Satan? (Only a slight exaggeration!) As you pray for the ministry of House of Gladness, pray for weary and discouraged pastors who are berated by all sides. Research continues to show that a large percentage of pastors (just over 1/3) are giving serious thought to finding a less stressful occupation (like used car salesman, middle school social studies teacher, or alligator farmer).

When raising children, it can seem like 20-80% of one’s day is spent finding lost items: shoes, cups, coats, socks, books, papers, tablets…anything and everything. After the tragedy of the lost treasure is announced (because every lost item is always, by definition, “my favorite!”) the parental mantra is, “Where did you last have it?”

That question is a great starting point for pastors and lay leaders who have lost their joy in ministry. “Where did you last have it?” To remember a time of joy, many of us would need to go back before COVID-19 threw our worlds into turmoil.

When you do remember a time when you were serving the Lord with gladness, where did the joy come from? Quite likely, your joy bubbled up from some blend of satisfying accomplishments, supportive relationships, a clear purpose, and consistent prayer times. If you are looking for lost joy, starting with those four sources is wise. The most critical one is time with the Lord because, when the other three wells of joy dry up, there is fullness of joy in the Lord’s presence.

Before you toss this aside as an admonition from a person standing on the beach to someone caught in a rip current to “swim harder,” let me assure you that praying harder (at least in my experience) rarely increases joy. Guilt, shame, frustration, yes; rarely joy. Instead, I’m inviting you to rediscover the presence of the Lord. You may encounter the Lord on your knees at set times of formal prayer (which the Church from the beginning has declared important). But you might also experience His presence while walking, or conversing with a friend, or reading, or painting, or bird watching, or lying in a hammock.

Added by Debbie: Or at a personal retreat at the House of Gladness. I have myself found rest and renewal in the Hobbys’ home several times—before this tender ministry was formalized as the House of Gladness. God has gifted Jim and his wife Shari for this work and equipped them through deep suffering of their own. They offer their love with empathy, grace, and prayer.

God held my hand, by Meredith Dobson, Pittsburgh (Muddy Boots in the Hallway)

But God’s unfailing love supported me

Psalm 94:18-19 I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

How did summer go by so fast??

Today I decided to take Uber to a doctor’s appointment. I waited outside my building in the rain, watching my phone for his arrival. I saw a car pull into the circle in front of our building the wrong way and immediately thought it must be my Uber driver. It was getting late and I was nervous, in part, because the doctor’s office had provided a same-day appointment and I was already afraid of being late.

When I got in the car, I was very nervous because I was seeing an unfamiliar doctor about a condition I was frightened to learn about and I was alone in doing this. I am 84 years old, I live alone, and get fearful of unknown things I have to do alone. I was rude and voiced admonishment to the driver for entering the driveway the wrong way and another car also let him know how much he was at fault. When he got in the car, I told him I was late already and to go fast that I needed to get there. This prompted a harsh response from him about his not wanting traffic violations and how he had to drop someone off and did I know my way around the city and he was as loud and abusive as I had been. Finally, I said I was already upset about a doctor visit and I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. In my mind, I thought of how I would rate him as a driver with a big old “O” and add a comment about rudeness.

As we got closer to the area, I gave him the actual address since I thought it was a medical building, not the actual hospital. He said, in a very calm, polite voice, he would take me wherever I needed to go. Then I said that I was sorry I had been so rude to him when I first got in. I said that I had talked to him in a way that was not called for, that I was way out of line, and I was sorry. He said he was sorry also and it was all OK. I briefly said that I was going to see a doctor I had never seen before about a condition I was really frightened about and being nervous about all that probably made me speak to him in a way I shouldn’t have. He said, Oh that’s OK. I’m sorry to hear that.  Then he added, “Do you want me to wait here to be sure you are in the right place? I will gladly do that.” I told him no, that I was pretty sure this was the right place. I said something about how things change and I hardly recognize it.

God was present with me all along. God was the one sitting beside me as we rode through the rain drops and the water splashing against the car. God held my hand in the back seat and gently whispered to me about forgiveness and speaking with the spirit of Love. God reminded me that this driver did not have an easy job and he was doing me a service. I was grateful I did not have to park or drive or bother with umbrellas or anything. I became grateful sitting there beside God and I wanted the driver to know.