Opinion : Pastor\'s Blog - Opportunity or Trials

Today is Oct. 7, 2011. The sun is shining. The breeze is cool. Fall is in the air. Last Sunday was a day very similar to today.

I want to share a story about a young lady in our church who chose last Sunday to demonstrate her love and devotion to Jesus through a believer’s baptism in the Cedar River just north of town. Her heart was truly warm for her Lord, but let me tell you, the river water was cold. She gave her testimony to a group of witnesses gathered on the shore and then we (she, an elder, and I) walked across the sand bar to the river. Her shivers began when she first entered the water. After the first immersion, she was sucking air. She was cold. All I could tell her was there were two more immersions coming. When she came out of the water after being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the wet hug she gave me, the elder and anyone standing near beamed with the warmth of love. The outcome was worth facing the trial.

Here is a young lady willing and choosing to undergo certain trials to demonstrate her love for Christ. She knew the water would be cold (maybe not as cold as it was), but yet it was worth undergoing the trials to show her love for Jesus. A question for each of us to ponder: Am I willing to undergo the trials set before me to show my love for my Lord?

How often do we question and back away from opportunities to glorify Christ, because the opportunity looks like a trial. (The water is going to be cold.) There is a song on radio with lyrics similar to ‘what if our blessings are in the raindrops’, ‘what if our healing is in our tears’. What if our opportunity to show someone the love of Jesus is wrapped up in our trials? Could our trials be opportunities in disguise?

Have a blessed day!

Jim Blair, Pastor of Blessed Hope Church

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Blessed Hope Church is located at

1507 M Ave. (Behind Theisen's)

Vinton

Services are:

Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School 10:45

Men's Bible Study

Wednesday Evening 7:00 pm