Please Stay In Faith

*Disclaimer* In the following story I am not judging the lady in it, I am making an observation about her and comparing the way we as Christians should be handling the passing of our Pastor and friend David Emigh. We, as the body of Christ, and family at Word of Life need to stay in faith so that we can help and pray for the Emigh family right now more than ever. Thanks.

My cell phone was ringing in my pocket, but as I pulled it out and I looked at the caller i.d. I didn't recognize the phone number, but I answered with my usual, "Hello, this is David." The female voice on the other end of the conversation asked if she had reached the ministry of Word of Life. I replied, "No mam, it isn't, but I am a member there."

She immediately began to wail, cry and say how saddened she was by the loss of my Pastor. She went on to say that she had listened to him on the radio since 1992, and that she couldn't believe this had happened, "First Billy Joe, and now this." Her crying became stronger, and I told her that I appreciated her phone call, but seeing as I was at work and had many customers in the store I would have to end the conversation. I again thanked her for calling and asked her to please continue to pray.

I was recounting this story to a friend a while later, and it dawned on me that I was kind of aggravated by that phone call. Not because a total stranger had called me, after all my phone number is listed on the church's website, so I didn't mind that at all. What was bothering me was the reaction I had received from this caller. She told me that she had listened to Pastor David on the radio since 1992, but was completely imploding and falling apart on the phone.

I guess what really bothered me about it was that in listening to him on the radio for nineteen years I would think that she would have learned something of the character of the man in that time and been operating in faith instead of doubt. I mean this is a devastating thing for sure, but we are to rise up in these kinds of situations not fall apart because of them. How else can we be there for the family, who has every right to be falling apart. After all, their world was just rocked hard.

I love my Pastor, but I think it would dishonor him if I started to fall apart because of his death right now. There are all kinds of people who want to help out with this, then I say rise up, stay in faith and let's continue Pastor David's work and see the Kingdom increase even more. Let's do this family!