Whenever I get a referral from our website, I imagine the courage it must have taken for that ministry leader to reach out. He or she made the brave and deliberate choice to pursue health and wholeness. That’s incredibly admirable. Pastor Don* and I met because he stepped out in faith and clicked Standing Stone’s “Connect with a Shepherd” link.
Don and I chose to connect over Zoom since we lived in different states. I immediately related to him—he was a committed follower of Jesus, a loving pastor, and a devoted family man. He wasn’t experiencing a crisis, nor was he battling a major sin issue. Some difficult experiences in his past had simply created a cumulative weight that he no longer wanted to carry alone.
Don acknowledged a struggle with persistent anxiety, which impacted every area of his life in some way. I’m sure it was scary for him to acknowledge that he needed help. I knew I could encourage Him and support Him with God’s Word and prayer. I had counseled pastorally for many years. But I also knew my limitations, so I never made promises to Don. I affirmed that I would walk alongside him faithfully and that healing always belongs to God. We Zoomed and talked; I encouraged Don and we prayed.
What the Lord did in Don while we met was absolutely spectacular! It has been a joy to watch him take steps leading to ever-increasing freedom. After some time, Don asked if he could share a testimonial. Here’s what he wrote:
My Standing Stone shepherd “had a great way of ‘cutting to the quick,’ and helping me realize what was truly at the heart of the issues. To my surprise, God granted me a breakthrough in a much shorter time than I expected. I am still meeting with my shepherd, and I see God doing even more healing in the future. But what He has done so far has been nothing short of amazing. I would highly recommend Standing Stone to any pastors or church workers who need God’s healing. Give it a try! What do you have to lose?
My earnest prayer is that more ministry leaders like Don will reach out, through our website, social media, or other means. I can’t wait to see what God does through Standing Stone as we guide more leaders into flourishing ministry and family life. Just think how many churches could be transformed by healthier pastors!
[*] Names and details have been changed to assure complete confidentiality.
