(This is the seventh article in a series by Geoffrey, a pastor who received help from Care for Pastors.)
Restoration for One Pastor
I would love to tell you that the road to restoration was a smooth and seamless trip that happened overnight and all we had to do was hop in the backseat while God did all the driving, but that was not the case. Instead, God, in His own perfect timing, opened up this path for us and gave us the keys for this trip. Of course, there were wrong turns, side trips and break downs, but the signs that He provided along the way, guided us safely to the destination that He intended. The signs that I refer to, are the Godly men and women that He put in our lives, the First Baptist Church of Orlando and finally, Care for Pastors. I could write 6 more weeks worth of testimony regarding the miracle that all of these signs were in our life and marriage, but I will spare you the details. The important part is that we followed them. Again, we didn’t follow them perfectly, but we somehow managed to get there.
Heather surely didn’t want to go back to Florida with me after that weekend in North Carolina, but she did. First, we found First Baptist Orlando. What we experienced there was not anger or judgment, but love and kindness. Eventually, we felt ourselves growing closer to Him and in the process, closer to one another. I will never forget our loving life group, the powerful messages from the pulpit or the trip to Epcot with Pastor Randall James. It was just the two of us and we did nothing but ride rides and talk all day. I felt like a child with his dad and I will always treasure that day in my heart. What a man! Eventually, I knew that it was time to begin the process of going back home. Home was ministry.
(Check back later this week for the conclusion to Geoffrey’s story of restoration as a pastor. In the meantime, if you need help, you can always schedule an appointment on our website or by calling. Merry Christmas to all!!)
