Service with a Smile

Kari Zyp Patterson: Service with a Smile!

One of the most amazing things God did in my life during this period of time was giving me the gift and honor of serving with Kari.

I didn’t know at the time that she would become my friend, my co-laborer, my defender, my safety net, my encourager and greatest fan, a beautiful extender of grace. I also didn’t realize at the time the magnitude of this production and what that meant in her life.

A full time campus missionary, a bible teacher, disciple-er, and you may not know this but at the time a School of Ministry student as well, she submits to the Lord and the college pastor and agrees to take on the drama. Now the even greater thing to me was it was a complete step of faith as she had not really done formal theater. But God had given the vision to Mark that she would be leading a Spring Drama and she stepped up to the plate.

Over those few months of preparation, Kari and I spent a lot of time together, either in email or practices or meetings at Ronnie Joes (Red Horse). Kari really began to love on me. God showed me through Kari His heart for how we minister with one another and serve in love. With a smile. No mater what came our way, no matter how tired, no matter the pressure or stress, I never felt anything other than love and grace from her.

There is that familiar saying in ministry that sheep bite and they can. But I find it has been much less when they could only mostly respond in love to a leader that was CONSTANTLY washing their feet, so to speak.

It’s really good for me to recall this today as ministry has become more than overwhelming to me. But looking back I can see the hand of God not just in the fruit from the actual out reaches, but His good favor on our relationships as a team. I don’t think we really knew how many total that first year, we were not interested in numbers just grateful for the people. But seeing it from today’s view I can count on one hand over the years the times we have had any real struggles with the people we were serving with and ALL of those times were completely protected by God with hearts and relationships fully recovered. That is a miracle as we have worked with hundreds of different people. Thank you Lord!

As for me, I was healing. And I have to say that this has been the overall experience in serving with most everyone here at Calvary through the drama ministry. We love God by loving each other and together purpose to love our community. Extending to one another the beautiful service of God, with a smile!

I can not finish with out saying THANK YOU to ALL of you that have served along side us over the years! It has been an absolute pleasure.

Next post...Rehearsals, something like a Richard Simons work out video?!