"WHAT!!! is that a/my Pastor smoking a cigar?"
... said or unsaid, there are people thinking that the second they see this picture.
Heck, I am thinking that!
In a nut-shell, this is why Pastors suck at being friends.
(Or at least me, but I am sure I am not alone...
I am also hopeful cause I've read how other Pastors have figured some of this out.)
The thing is, Pastors have this unique call to serve/lead in a faith community. I consider it an honor to do so. I love doing so. This call comes with a cost though... a microscope. In recent years this microscope has become and ultra high tech one, that is ever present, and can be turned up to 100x magnification due to social media.
Recognizing this mindset, and coupling it with this microscope, provides a freshly squeegeed window into my heart...
from that vantage point you'll see...
my struggle with friendship.
In fact, I confess to you; I suck at friendship.
(Side Note: Friend or not, I actually like... even love... the smell of cigars. Hate the taste, but this was an exception... here's why.)
Few pictures bring me as much joy as this one.
I am with someone I consider a real friend.
Someone who I know, would literally take a bullet for me.
We had just shot my first deer... BOOM.
He pulled out the cigars... BLAM.
Then... #deerselfietime.
It was an incredible day. Now an incredible memory.
The picture though reminds me I do have a friend.
Someone who will pull out the cigars at a key right of passage moment, and not give a second thought to whether a pastor should smoke a cigar or not.
Someone I can proceed to smoke a cigar with and never have to worry if he'll use it as ammo against my call to serve/lead in a faith community.
Friends like this are rare for a Pastor.
There is one other major factor as to why I, a Pastor, suck at friendship. Even though I try my best as a Pastor, my best is not good enough. Never will be. I've lost friends because I just am not good enough at what I do - I'm sorry.
This morning though, I read this...
"We have a Priest-Friend" (1 John 2, MSG).
Wow!
My heart literally smiled when I read that.
It was shout for joy from the depths of my soul.
I have the perfect Priest-Friend!
You too, can have The perfect Priest-Friend!
In fact, I don't have to be everyone's best priest-friend... cause there is already A perfect One in place.
One whom I know will never let you down.
So to the handful of my real life friends.
Sorry for sucking at being a friend.
Thank you that from your perspective I don't even have to say sorry for this.
Here's to me trying to learn to be just a friend.
To everyone else, regardless of if you believe in Jesus or not... but especially if you attend church Sunday after Sunday,
I sincerely pray you find The Priest-Friend.
He'll never let you down.
He gently wars, with ferocious grace, for greater levels of freedom, healing and deliverance on your behalf!
With Shouts of Joy - Kenny