Day 5
30-day reading plan: Mark 1 – 8
Daily Verse: Mark 1: 31
So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
30-day reading plan: Mark 1 – 8
Daily Verse: Mark 1: 31
So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
There is an inspirational sign in my house that says, "Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the
ground in the morning the devil says, 'Oh No! She's up!'" Brooke was that kind of woman.
I met Brooke the first week of classes at seminary. She was an unofficial shepherd to new students who helped me get acclimated to the academic life. She challenged my theological thinking and taught me how to fry an egg in bacon grease.
Brooke had an aneurysm in the classroom caused by a rare disease and had spent the last year in rehab. She was not the type of woman to be kept down long. She worked hard to regain strength so she could come back to school and finish her journey. She had a short life expectancy due to Morphan’s disease and she was determined to reach her goal in that short time. Her life's dream was to be ordained into Christian ministry. Her perseverance was inspirational to me on the days when the journey to graduation and ordination seemed too difficult.
For the day of her ordination, many of her friends drove several hours away to be a part of the joyous day. In the weeks after, we talked about her ministry. She didn’t feel called to preach every Sunday, but was not physically able to do full-time youth ministry. I wondered with her what ministry for her would be. When she died a year later, I realized what her ministry had been. She was a shepherd to many students at seminary. She was an encourager and an advocate for preparing ministers to care for themselves. On more than one occasion, she was my pastor. No matter our ability, God gives us the gifts and grace to fulfill our calling.
I met Brooke the first week of classes at seminary. She was an unofficial shepherd to new students who helped me get acclimated to the academic life. She challenged my theological thinking and taught me how to fry an egg in bacon grease.
Brooke had an aneurysm in the classroom caused by a rare disease and had spent the last year in rehab. She was not the type of woman to be kept down long. She worked hard to regain strength so she could come back to school and finish her journey. She had a short life expectancy due to Morphan’s disease and she was determined to reach her goal in that short time. Her life's dream was to be ordained into Christian ministry. Her perseverance was inspirational to me on the days when the journey to graduation and ordination seemed too difficult.
For the day of her ordination, many of her friends drove several hours away to be a part of the joyous day. In the weeks after, we talked about her ministry. She didn’t feel called to preach every Sunday, but was not physically able to do full-time youth ministry. I wondered with her what ministry for her would be. When she died a year later, I realized what her ministry had been. She was a shepherd to many students at seminary. She was an encourager and an advocate for preparing ministers to care for themselves. On more than one occasion, she was my pastor. No matter our ability, God gives us the gifts and grace to fulfill our calling.
Question for reflection:
Who are you shepherding?
Who are you shepherding?
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