Thank You Adam

     There’s a new preacher in town. He’s a member of my church. He’s a young man with a wife and two small children, a new home and a full-time job. At a time when he is learning his role as husband and daddy and provider, God threw him a curve and called him to preach His Word.
     I have known this man since he was a boy. A laid back, strong, quiet type. To have him now stand in the pulpit and preach to me, to be honest, is a bit surprising. In his same quiet, peaceful manner, he manages to convict my heart through his testimonies and sermons.
     He is pure emotion. He is not yet seasoned with "preacherisms" and phrases commonly used yet not fully understood. His insight into the Word of God is new and fresh. He has been a Christian a long time, but as a new preacher, he sees his life and how he lives it in a different light.
     Not unlike myself, he too rushes home from work on Wednesday evening with barely enough time to eat his supper, get himself ready, and get his family to church on time. But then he has the nerve to tell me that after all that, I should still have the energy to stand and testify about how good God is to me. Just who does this kid think he is? He’s now the man of God. A man who has answered the calling on his life and is trying to lead with an example I should want to follow. After all, as he said, what’s the point of going through all that trouble to get to church if I’m not willing to stand and praise and worship the Lord when I get there. ouch.
     He also brought an outside concern home for me this week. We all have principles we believe in, and we are sometimes called to defend our principles to those who have opposing views, or those who have no views at all and are just going along with what the media and the world have to say about it. While it’s not always easy, we know we are to stand against such evils "out there." But can you go home and stand up for your beliefs and convictions before your family? Before your wife/husband and your kids? What things do you allow or overlook in order to keep the peace at home, but strongly disagree with on facebook or around the water cooler? oh me.
     God has used this young man and his newly acquired deeper understanding of the scripture to bring into light issues in this not-as-young wife and mother’s life. Maybe even a clearer view of just the book of Genesis.  God brought form into the abyss that was my life. And over the years, through the lives and testimonies of Godly people, and countless sermons from so many different preachers, my life became full and I was able to bear spiritual fruit. Still I was left with things wandering through my mind that I could not put my finger on. I knew they were there, but I didn’t know what to call them or how to handle them. It is appropriate that God would use this man to put a name to those thoughts and convictions.
     For his name....is Adam.