Counting the Cost
“I knew there was a reason I had to be here this weekend” Joe shared. “It was a crazy week with many obstacles but the Lord knew I needed to speak to those boys today.”
In March of this year Joy El hosted an annual retreat for Mothers and Sons to get away together so that they might strengthen their relationships with each other and the Lord.
The Monday before the retreat the speaker for the sons’ session, Joe Hall, emailed me sharing that he was fearful that the schedule of his new job may interfere with the session. However, he sent an update a few days later sharing that it had been resolved and he would be there at normal time.
The day of the session I received a call from Joe asking for prayer as he traveled, a large amount of snow and ice was beginning to form on the roads. Joe arrived safely in the gym room with teaching illustrations in hand fifteen minutes before the session started.
Later that day Joe was sitting at lunch sharing with several staff about the teaching time. The conversation started with him exclaiming “During the session the Lord opened the door for me to lead one of those boys to begin a relationship with Jesus!” He beamed with excitement.
“Joe, I am so glad you were able to make it today despite the schedule conflict with your new job and the snow this morning” I told him. “So where is your new job?”
“My new job?” Joe asked. “Oh, I quit.”
“You what?” I replied.
“Well, the Lord told me I needed to be here this weekend and they wouldn’t let me honor my commitment to teaching here this weekend. After praying, the Lord used this as a sign that I was not called to work there.” Joe then shared other ways he saw God work during the session and how evident it was that he was supposed to teach.
Joe had counted the cost of following where the Lord had called him to serve and took a step of faith that weekend to share God’s truth. Joe Hall currently serves as the new pastor of Pond Bank Independent Church in Chambersburg Pennsylvania.
“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to compete it?” Luke 14:28
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