Several years back, one of the women in the congregation delivered her first baby stillborn. We were all sorry and some one said to me, “I feel so badly for Sheri. I wanted to write a note and tell her so, but I hardly know her.” I could understand those feelings since I had experienced them often myself.
A few weeks later I was talking to Sheri and she commented on the support she had received from the people in the church. “You know,” she remarked, “I received a note from Mary (another woman). It meant so much to me because I hardly know her, and to think she would care enough to take the time to sit down and write!”
Every pastor’s wife finds herself in the center of the lives of her congregation receiving information juxtaposed against other information. Sometimes we know things we shouldn’t know. But, at other times we learn from experiences we don’t have to go through.
I determined, from this instance of note writing, to always initiate love, to attempt to refuse the flutters of fear that appear in new circumstances of ministry. If an idea seems to be good, I concluded, it is most probably of God, and I will attempt to do it.
Fear is generally a tool the Enemy uses to keep us from touching each other with the healing ointment of love. We must learn to initiate love even when we have not been asked to do so, even when there is no return, or when we are not sure how people will respond.
Sensitivity to cries for help is the work of the Spirit. The proper functioning of our gifts is the work of the Spirit. Learning to ask for help, learning how to give it—He is the tutor in these things.
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Karen Mains has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.
An award-winning author of several other books, Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.
For decades, Karen Mains and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.
In addition, pastors will find special resources to help them create effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.
Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.
