Appreciation (noun): gratitude, thankful recognition

As a pastor I feel most appreciated when my people acknowledge that I serve them out of love and not just obligation.   I feel appreciated when:

• Church members note that I’ve worked a long day and still made it to the ER when their child was running a high fever. 
• I preach from a difficult text and put in a lot of time trying to get my wording palatable and one of my real students of the Word recognizes the labor to make the text make sense to everyone. 
• After a fourth Sunday brunch and trail ride a little boy (whose Dad isn’t part of his life) comes and thanks me for saddling his horse and letting him ride beside me. 
• An older lady in our church makes me cookies because I brought over a crew to mow her grass, and she hands me those cookies with true love in her eyes
• The oldest man in the church with the most influence, pats me on the back and says, “Son, you’re doing a good job and I’m praying for you.”
• A little 8 year old girl draws a picture that illustrates a point in my message on a Sunday morning and hands me that picture and asks me if I will hang it up in my office and I do.
• When the leaders of the ABSC bought my dinner on the night of the Evangelism Conference for no apparent reason except to just be nice and show their appreciation for what I do as a pastor. It was like the leaders of the Lords’ army saying, “Keep up the good work solider.” I really felt honored and appreciated and recognized as a fellow comrade by these men who did not have to do what they did, but who really wanted to.

 

Donny Hargett

Calvary Trail Cowboy Church