A Great Cloud of Witnesses

I found myself tearing up a bit during the sermon in worship today. The pastor preached on the above passage from Hebrews. He talked about that great cloud of witnesses that the author of Hebrews talks about. He reminded us that there are so many who have gone before us in faith and helped us to experience and know the saving love of Jesus Christ. They will be the ones who will throw a party for us in heaven once we arrive at heaven's gates.
This sermon got me to thinking again about all of the people who have helped me to grow in faith.

• My parents first come to mind. Nearly every Sunday of my life growing up we were in church together as a family. We worshipped together, sang together, and prayed together.
• My Sunday school teachers who put up with me and patiently taught me the Scriptures and the ways of Jesus. I'm sure they sometimes went home frustrated by a poorly behaved class. Whether they knew it or not they were planting seeds of faith and hope in my heart and life.
• My youth group leaders played a huge role in my life. They worked long hours planning and leading a thriving youth program. They actually seemed to like to work with teenagers and tried to steer us in the right direction and help us to know how much God loved us.
• My pastors who faithfully preached sermons week after week. They lived humble lives as faithful examples of Christ to me. They prayed and visited and patiently loved a very stiff-necked rebellious congregation that ended up splintering and declining into a church that it today mere shadow of the church that I remember from my childhood.
• My seminary professors who taught me to think critically about my faith. They helped me to truly delve into the Scriptures and understand their context and meaning and convey what I learned to others.
• My spiritual friends who were and are Jesus to me in so many powerful ways. They listen to me whine. They help me wrestle with life and faith. They pray with me and for me. They give me encouragement and love. They are wonderful blessings along my journey.
• My co-workers at Habitat for Humanity. They all are very talented and could make a whole lot more money doing others things. However, they sacrifice every day for the sake of the poor who live in poverty housing. They seek the things of God with their hearts and lives.
• The families I work with through Habitat for Humanity. Many of them live in such horrible conditions that I cannot begin to imagine how they continue to get up each morning. Yet, they do continue to look to the future with hope and faith. They seek a better future for their families. Today, I went to a groundbreaking service for our newest house in Rising Sun, Indiana. What a joy to me it was to stand along side the future home owner and her children as we sunk shovels into the ground on that hilltop with a view of the Ohio River. It was a miracle unfolding right before my eyes. It was a holy moment.
• So many others who have offered prayers for me and loved me when I was certainly not very lovable. People who showed me kindness when what I deserved nothing at all. People who were Jesus to me through their smile, their word of encouragement, their brief encounter with me in life.

These are just some of the people that I could name. They are my great cloud of witnesses. they are the faithful people of my life who loved me and taught me to love. They are the ones who still encourage me and hold me accountable. They are Jesus to me in ways that I cannot begin to understand.
So, today I'm pausing to give God thanks and praise for this great cloud of witnesses. For the faithful who have gone before me. For the ones with whom God has allowed my path to cross.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!