More from Mary Hunt Webb

When I was looking at career possibilities as a teenager, I knew I wanted to serve the Lord. I considered becoming a missionary teaching English as a second language (ESL) in another country. However, the Lord had other ideas and set events in place for me to meet and marry Morris Webb.

Morris’ career as a meteorologist with the National Weather Service has taken us across the western United States, where I have taught ESL and witnessed to a number of people. 

My heart goes out to those who serve us in leadership, so I originally titled today’s meditation, “Pray for the Pastor.” While we expect pastors to pray for their congregants, we as church members need to pray for our pastors and their families too. Many pastors only take one day off a week rather than two, and they all work weekends. It’s difficult for them to relax, even at home, because they are often on call to respond when people have crises in their lives. They often work long days, attending committee meetings in the evenings after working during the day at the church. They visit ailing church members in the hospital or at home, and they take communion to those who cannot leave their homes. Pastors’ spouses have a unique calling, so they also deserve our prayers. 

In today’s meditation, I wanted to emphasize that pastors are human, just like the rest of us. Thus, when they make snappy remarks, we should forgive them and pray for them instead of taking it personally.

Our family is one that our current pastor visited twice during the months after we both had COVID-19 in mid-November 2023. Morris suffered more severely than I did, and he couldn’t sit up by himself when he first came home from the hospital. After months of rehab therapy, Morris is walking with the assistance of a walker. Although he moves slowly, the trend line is good. He will continue with out-patient therapy. 

I cope by going to a health club two or three times a week, where I exercise in the swimming pool and soak in the hot tub. Thank you to this online community for faithfully praying for us during these months. We appreciate you continuing to do so even when you don’t see a comment from me. 

After this meditation appears in The Upper Room, Morris and I will celebrate our 55th wedding anniversary on July 11, 2024. Every marriage goes through difficult times, but ours has survived those. From my work with adult students, I am convinced that everyone considers divorce at some point. The key is not to give in to that, but to speak in moderate tones and weather out the tough times because situations do change so that life can and will get better.

The accompanying candid photo is one that Michele Walton, our church’s Family Life Director took recently while we were preparing for her to take a more serious one for our church directory.

Morris and I try to reflect our Lord to others through our Webbsite. We welcome you to explore our postings at http://www.maryhuntwebb.com/.