PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH | MY HUSBAND FIRST, MY PASTOR SECOND

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and while I could write a hundred things about my husband, Ron, I want to share a little about the man I get to see when the title of "Pastor" isn't attached to his name.

If you know Ron, you know he has a heart for people. And I mean ALL people.

Over the years, I've seen Ron make time for countless people, often over a simple cup of coffee. Many of those conversations happen man to man, and I'm not there to hear what's shared. But I know his heart. Whether it's sitting across the table from someone, serving as an Elder at our church, or picking up the phone to check on someone going through a difficult season, he makes time for people. He listens, encourages, offers guidance, and prays with and for them.

And knowing my husband, I can tell you this: just because the coffee cups are empty, the phone call has ended, or the conversation is over doesn't mean he's stopped praying for them. I've watched him take on just about any job or responsibility within the church that needed doing. Not because it came with recognition or a title, but because there was a need and an opportunity to further God's Kingdom. And when I say he serves faithfully, I mean it.

This man was back serving within weeks of having heart surgery! (Yes, I had a few things to say about that!)

But what I admire most isn't necessarily what everyone else sees. It's what I get to witness at home. I see his love for Jesus in the way he loves me, especially when I'm being difficult, when I'm struggling to understand life, people, or even God's timing.

I see it in the way he answers the phone when our son calls, unsure of what to do or which direction to take. Ron doesn't just offer advice. He offers strength, encouragement, wisdom, and a reminder to keep going. He's not just a dad to our son. He's a man he can look up to and a friend he can lean on.

And to me? He's my rock when I need strength and my soft pillow when I need somewhere to land.

I've also watched this man wrestle with God's calling. I've seen him face difficult decisions, take chances, experience disappointment, and even lose friendships with people we once considered family. I've watched him choose obedience when the path wasn't clear. I've watched him trust God's direction when it didn't make sense.

And yes, sometimes I'm standing right beside him saying, "Wait... WHAT IF.....? Are you sure?" 

But his trust in God's direction has taught me so much about what it means to walk by faith and not by sight.

Ron, if someone asked me to name one thing you've changed in my life, I couldn't.

Because you've changed EVERYTHING.

Every year that I get to walk beside you as your wife, I grow more grateful for the life God is building through us. I don't know every road He will lead us down, but I trust that wherever He takes us, we will continue striving to be His hands and feet and shine the light of Jesus wherever He points us.

And there's something else I want to say. Over the years, I've come to understand that the church has never been about the building.

A building is brick, rock, cement, maybe even wood.

But THE CHURCH? That's the people.

It's the people who make you feel like family under one amazing, mighty Father.

It's the people who encourage you, challenge you, push you forward, and love you when you're at your least lovable.

It's the people who stand behind their words, even when life is frustrating, disappointing, or downright difficult.

It's people SHOWING UP for people.

And that's what I hope we never forget, no matter where God leads us.

So today, Ron, I want to thank you.

Thank you for the countless cups of coffee, the conversations, the phone calls, the prayers, the sacrifices, the difficult decisions, and the times you've said yes to God when it would have been easier to say no.

Thank you for loving our son, for loving me, and for loving Jesus in a way that doesn't just come out of your mouth but shows up in how you live.

Thank you, Ron. My husband first and my pastor second, for all you've brought into my life and the lives of so many others.

❤️ AND TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO SERVES...

I don't want this month to pass without acknowledging those who may never hold the title of Pastor but have the same heart for serving.

To the ones setting up chairs, cleaning up after everyone leaves, teaching children, preparing meals, making phone calls, praying quietly, checking on someone who's struggling, or simply showing up when someone needs a friend...

THANK YOU.

To those who serve without recognition, without applause, and sometimes without anyone even knowing what you've done...

THANK YOU.

You don't need a title to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

You don't need a pulpit to share His love.

And you certainly don't need a spotlight for God to see your faithfulness.

Because the Kingdom of God isn't built by titles. It's built through willing hearts, faithful hands, and people who choose to love like Jesus.

Happy Pastor Appreciation Month to my husband and to every person who faithfully serves the Lord, whether the world sees it or not.

God sees. And what you do matters. 

Sam❤️