I was speaking with a colleague today about the realities of life and ministry. She said, “Life is hard, but God is good!” I agree with both statements.
This week, Joy, a friend of 30 years passed away. Gayle and I first met her in church and, before long, Joy had us connected to a bunch of her Alcoholics Anonymous friends. Working with them was a great time of ministry for both my wife and me.
But over the years we went one way and Joy another. Then close to a decade ago we crossed paths again. While Joy already knew about my archaeological work in the Holy Land, she didn’t know about my responsibilities at Helping Up Mission.
She encouraged me to start a Biblical 12-Step recovery group at the new church where we both attended. Gayle and I agreed it was an idea from God and we did it together. Today we call it “Recovery for a Lifetime” and we meet on Tuesday nights in Frederick County.
Joy is my age and had some health problems, but she kept very active and busy. This week her body just gave out on her and she stepped into the presence of the LORD. While family and friends miss her, we would not want to bring her back here for anything.
If Joy and I could have had one more conversation and I would have had the phrase in hand at the time, I know she would have agreed. “Life is hard, but God is GOOD!”
One Day at a Time,
Pastor Gary Byers
Deputy Director