Blog
From someone who sees you, even if you don’t always feel seen.
Pastor Appreciation Month is over.
The cards were kind.
The meals were thoughtful.
The words were genuine.
But then
Monday came.
And the emails were still waiting.
The sermon still needed to be written.
The hospital call still came in.
The weight of leadership didn’t take the day off.
I’m not on your staff. I’m not in the elders’ meetings or carrying the spreadsheet of budgets and attendance. But I see you. And I see how heavy “normal” can feel after October fades.
So before we move too quickly into Thanksgiving season, I just want to pause here and say:
Thank you for staying.
Thank you for showing up when no one is clapping.
Thank you for holding space for people’s pain when your own heart is tired.
Thank you for carrying the vision when resources are thin.
Thank you for continuing to shepherd even when the sheep bite.
Also, thank you to those who followed God somewhere new.
Leaving doesn’t make you disloyal; sometimes it makes you obedient.
God moves His people like pieces in a story far bigger than any one church.
Faithfulness looks like
staying when God says stay and
going when God says go.
Both are obedience.
Both are beautiful.
Where we forget gratitude, we grow blind to grace.
Church leaders feel misunderstood.
Church members feel misunderstood.
And both sides are often right.
But gratitude softens what misunderstanding hardens.
So here’s a gentle practice for this week:
“Lord, help me see the good.”
No list. No performance.
Just a prayer to open your eyes again.
Look for it in the ordinary:
- The volunteer who keeps showing up.
- The elder who checks on your spouse.
- The teen who runs slides faithfully.
- The older saint who prays over you quietly.
The good is still there.
Sometimes we just need God to help us see it again.
A word of truth before you start another week
You’re not unseen.
You’re not forgotten.
You’re not replaceable.
Your steady presence matters more than you know.
Even after the thank-you cards are tucked away and Monday’s to-do list is staring back at you,
your faithfulness is still seen by the One who called you.
Thank you for staying.
Thank you for leading.
Thank you for loving Christ’s bride, even when it’s hard.
We’re grateful for you.
