Blest Be the Tie that Binds

Blest be the tie that binds... Our hearts in Christian love;

The fellowship of kindred minds... Is like to that above.
Before our Father’s throne ...We pour our ardent prayers;

Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one ...Our comforts and our cares.
We share each other’s woes, Our mutual burdens bear;

And often for each other flows... The sympathizing tear.
When we asunder part,... It gives us inward pain;

But we shall still be joined in heart,... And hope to meet again.
This glorious hope revives... Our courage by the way;

While each in expectation lives, ...And longs to see the day.
From sorrow, toil and pain ,...And sin, we shall be free,

And perfect love and friendship reign ...Through all eternity.

I love my church. Being a pastor's wife can be an emotional roller coaster at times. It's hard sharing your husband with so many, having to watch him expose himself to ridicule and criticism while knowing the personal sacrifices he's making, living in a glass house, and not quite sure what you can say and when to say it. Not to mention the whole burden of living with a man of God. I dearly love him, but he's a man just like all other men; yet I have to live with the burden of knowing that my attitudes and criticism, my mistakes and my sins, directly affect his preaching and his ministry. (...hence, my gray hairs...)

But, did I mention that I love my church? Jason has been pastoring since 1996. It's been a wild ride for us. We have been loved. We have been hated. We have felt the sting of rejection, seen our children's tears, watched as our personal sacrifices of time and money were laughed at, and we have even come close to collapsing beneath the heavy load. But the Lord has been ever faithful to us.

And that's why I love my church. The Lord has now (since 2006) placed us in a place of rest. Don't get me wrong, Jason still carries a pastor's burden, but life is so different for us being in a church that loves us and loves Bible preaching. Not just one or two families, not just half the church, but the entire congregation is in one mind and one accord, and we genuinely love and lift up each other. The church believes and lives by what the preacher preaches, and they encourage him to keep preaching more! I am honored to be a part of this body of believers and to experience the true Christian fellowship that we have.

I do love my church. Yesterday, they gave Jason a surprise "Pastor Appreciation Day". There was dinner served, with the fellowship hall decorated, gifts, and even a new suit. I will forever treasure the surprised and humble look on Jason's face when he realized what the church had done for us. I'll never forget the countenances of my children, over whose tender hearts I have prayed as we've had to endure such bitterness through the years, as they listened to the people thank us for our service to the church and to the Lord.

I love my church, and blest be the Tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.