Avoiding the Pebbles

By Becky Hunter, July 3, 2007

Avoiding the Pebbles
Friday, August 3rd, 2007
One day this week I was waiting on a friend in a coffee shop. She was late. Having been late myself to such engagements, I understood perfectly and began taking advantage of the unscheduled time. After organizing the contents of my purse, analyzing my to-do-list and catching up on voicemail messages, I had run out of ways to be productive in that setting. So I started looking around the shop and I noticed a small-framed message hanging on the side of the cash register. Tiny messages in large settings always make me curious so I slid out of my booth and went to investigate. I’m glad I did!

Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain. ~Author Unknown

That was a message important enough for a shop owner to post. It is a message that resonates with a Christian perspective on a number of levels. And it made me think about the pebbles of “advice” that are commonly encountered on the path of the pastor’s wife: Pebbles that many of us stumble over again and again.

Pebble One:
Being a pastor’s wife requires me to be someone I’m not.

Don’t let this pebble trip you up. The way to choose the perfect path past this pebble is to do what Jesus asked everyone who loves Him to do. Use your life and gifts to love others and serve them in ways that they, too, will come to know Him and love Him.

Pebble Two:
Being a pastor’s wife means my children should be perfect.

Walk right by this pebble laden with judgment. The way past pebble two: Remember that you, like all Christian parents, should simply “train your children in the way they should go.”

Pebble Three:
Being a pastor’s wife means certain ministry skills and talents are non-negotiable.

Run around pebble three! It is the understanding of and willingness to use your unique and God-given gifts to share God’s love with others that are the non-negotiables.

Our paths may be strewn with pebbles, but these three are common to those of us married to pastors. If we can keep from stumbling over these, we will make a mountain of progress for the Kingdom of God.

One more thing, while you and I are on this journey together let’s keep reading the tiny messages in the large settings. His “still, small voice” will never fail to inspire.