Holding the hand of life's victims:

Something To Think About, Holding someone's hand when life beats them up:

I was privileged to be the guest speaker at a church that was honoring some friends of mine for Pastor Appreciation Day.  Getting ready to share there, I got out a file folder I've kept over the years.  l am a lousy record keeper, but when I receive something that encourages me I put it in that folder, if I remember to do it.  I keep it so sometimes when I'm low I can be encouraged with some recycled expressions of love. Several years ago I was with someone who had severely injured themself in a fall.  The Dr. was sewing up their hand.  I held the other one, while the physician did his work.  A couple of weeks later I got a card from that parishioner, thanking me.  I put that card in the file-folder.  I mentioned it in my message.  I pointed out that part of the Job Description for pastors is "Holding the hands of folks whom Life has beaten up."  I got another card today.  I'll put it in my folder as soon as I'm finished with this.   One of my pastor friends who was present for my sermon said, "I loved 'Pastors hold people's hands when life beats them up.'  So glad we have each other's hands for this journey."  Me, too, Brother.  Another pastor friend, my son, posted on his Facebook page today, "Just cannot express how important it is for pastors to make time to encourage other pastors. Thankful for ____ & for eggs&coffee." Fellow pastors, if we are doing what we ought to do, as in serving under the chief Shepherd, we aren't in competition, we are all working for the same goal.  lt can be lonely, let's be sure to encourage one another, whenever we can. It's STTA.

Over the years I've seen a lot of stairs.  I notice them a lot more now than I used to.  Me knees tend to tell me about them. I recently built some stairs.  For an amateur wood-butcher building a way from one level to another can be a challenge.  As this video and article show a stair doesn't have to be off very much to make it a tripping point.  A well designed and built set of stairs is such that a person can go up or down without thinking about what their feet are doing.  A poorly made set requires "watching where you step."
I've only been up and down my new staircase a couple of times, but I think it is going to be OK.   There is a descent, however, that I don't want to be smooth.  Jesus told a story about a man who lived in the lap of luxury.  As happens to us all, he died.  He found himself in hell.  No one told him to "watch that last step!"  An old proverb uses a slightly different metaphor.  As is usually the case, C. S. Lewis says it well.  

"Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."  

I suppose we could say that good preaching--indeed the task of the church in general is to put some tripping points along the way. 
"Huh, what was that?"
"That, my friend, is one of the consequences of sin, or of life in this sin cursed world.  By the way, do you know where this road is headed?  

  

It's STTA