A Year of Prayers

I cannot believe it has been a year since I started writing a column for our local newspaper. I will not lie; it has not been easy writing a column that you pray will evoke people to think about their lives and relationships with God, and then act to improve their lives.

As one popular speaker once said, “Thank God I ain’t what I used to be, but praise God I ain’t what I’m gonna be.” My prayer has been that I’m getting slightly better at writing, week after week.

I once had a church member who loved to “cut up” and joke. Almost every Sunday after worship he would say, “Every sermon is better than the next.” He may have made us laugh a lot and laughter is good medicine, but to this, I never laughed.

When you put prayer, thought, research and time into a message that you hope will be a life-changing message for one or more, it’s difficult to make light of it. This is a good example of loving someone, but not liking what they may say or do.

If I had gotten my sermons off the internet, out of a pastor’s magazine, from a book, or from a friend, I could have laughed along with my member, but I had invested much more. I had invested what members and I was experiencing at that particular point and time in our lives in order to draw us all closer to God. You can’t get these types of sermons and resources from anywhere else. I hope and pray that my writing has indeed improved week by week and not gotten weaker, week after week. This is truly my sincerest prayer.

In my closing thoughts, I would like to add how I have enjoyed sharing this space with Pastor Danny Sorrells. Danny and I worked together in a grocery store in high school. I knew way back then that he was a good person. Later, my twin brother and Danny worked together. My brother agreed with me – Danny is a good person.

There is no doubt in my mind that Danny is also a good person today and does wonderful work for the Lord and for people of all ages and stages of life. Who would have thought that the two of us would one day share a space in The Monticello News? Who would have thought that two people from different theological backgrounds would have so much in common? Who would have thought that the editor would have, unknowingly, allowed two people who even share the same birthday, to write in this space each week?

Thank you, Kathy, for giving two native Jasperites the opportunity to share our love for God and God’s people, week after week. Also, thank you, Danny, for the great work you do for the Lord and others.