This weekend we were off the farm at our in-laws celebrating Pastor Appreciation. My father-in-law has been a pastor at this particular church for 33 years and his church was celebrating Pastor Appreciation on Sunday. They asked us to come and for husband to preach the service. Due to commitments on the farm and with kids, we don’t get to go and visit as often as we would like, but we were so happy to be there with them and celebrate this special time. We watched as they were presented with various cards and gifts and as many members offered kind words of thanks to each of them. Members even came to me and spoke of how wonderful their Pastor and his wife were! It was such a joy to see the effort that the church members went to to decorate and make the day extraordinary for two special people. The day we left home we had our first baby of the fall calving season (yes!, it’s fall!) and when we arrived back home, we welcomed the second! Calving is well underway and I love that the front pasture will soon be full of pretty babies!
But going back to Pastor Appreciation…. who have you taken special time out to show appreciation to lately? That is the thought that has consumed me for the last few days. I am so thankful for my mother and father-in-law and who they are and how they love their church. But for us to go and show appreciation to them and participate in the celebration, was something that we had to make time for. It didn’t happen on its own. On the farm, time is not something you have a lot of. There is always something to do, something that needs tending to, something that needs repairing. Just like life, right? But sometimes we have to just make the time in order to do something different or unusual or spontaneous! Showing appreciation to others is exactly the same! It takes effort, sometimes it takes planning, and sometimes it’s just spontaneous and you just make the time to do it. It doesn’t happen on its own. But showing appreciation to others is always the right thing to do and it is always needed. Showing that you love someone or care for someone or are just thankful for what they do or have done is not only a good thing to do, it’s also biblical.
Romans 12:10 says, “Outdo one another in showing honor.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says ” Encourage one another and build one another up.” We all love an “atta boy!” Do you know someone that needs a pat on the back? Cheer someone on today. Make the time to send a text or take a few moments for a phone call. Why not even drop a note in the mail? I’m learning…learning to slow down and appreciate others. It’s hard, trust me, I understand. But sowing into someone else’s life will pay off in our own lives. Show someone some appreciation today!
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