You do so much for all of us, and we don't even have a clue. You spend hours a week preparing the fifteen minute message we hear on Sunday morning. You visit those who are sick, you make runs to the emergency room or hospital more often then we could ever imagine. Yet, we are so quick to point out your flaws. To remind you of the things you failed to do during the week. We don't remember to say thank you, so I'm going to try to.

Thank you for all the times you were there when I was sick. Thank you for the prayers of healing and for coming and sitting with me in the emergency room when my family is far away. Thank you for taking care of me when I needed to rest, but still push me to allow my body to heal properly. Thank you, for always being there for me.

Thank you for the message on Sunday mornings. It sounds strange to say out loud, but I know it can't be easy to prepare. I've only done it a few times, and can barely manage when I have weeks to prepare. You do it every week, and always have fresh material. Somehow you manage to wow me on a weekly basis, and I don't know how you do it.

Thank you for all the wonderful events that you host. From Super Bowl parties to lock-ins the events you plan never seem to fail. We always have fun, and you give up time with your family to be there for us. How could we not see that? Thank you, to your family, for sharing you with me. For giving up time with you so that I could have a little bit of fun.

Thank you for the summer mission trips. Where you would drive all day in buses or vans to spend a week with a bunch of teenagers, and then another day in the car. For the smiles and the laughs that happened along the way. For that closing night message that left us all in tears. For taking the time to show us how much we mean to you, and to Christ.

Thank you for all the times I came to you in tears, and you were there to listen. You never judged me, you never asked me to share more than I was comfortable with, and yet you were there. Whether it be three in the afternoon or three in the morning, you were always there to take my call. Always there to dry my tears, and always there to make me laugh. I can never say thank you enough.

Thank you for just being you. As a Daughter of the One True King who didn't know her worth until someone, you, took the time to point it out to me, I could never thank you enough. You not only showed me the worth I have in Christ, but you became a mentor in every aspect of my life. From the "dads" that I went to for boy advice, to the "moms" I turned to when things were rough and I had no idea what to do. For those of you that let me crash with you when I needed a place to sleep for the night, thank you. It means more than I could ever say.

Thank you for being a mentor. Thank you for showing me that ministry is more than pulpit supply on Sunday mornings. For giving me the chance to shadow you, follow you around, and see what you do. Because if it weren't for that experience, I wouldn't know what ministry is really all about. And let me give you a hint, it's not just about worship on a Sunday morning.

There are so many things that I could thank you for, and I think I've hit most of them on the head. But I want to say one more. Thank you for believing in me when I couldn't even believe in myself. Thank you for giving me a chance, and not just turning me away. For showing me where I could improve, where I could use little more help, and where I am doing well. Though I will never admit it if I do something well, thank you. Because I finally fell in love with my message from last week, and it's because of the confidence you have in me.

I've said a lot of thank yous. And if I could rattle off all of your names in this article without forgetting one of you I would. But I can't. So many of you have influenced my life, both inside and outside of my faith journey. You've helped me listen, hear, and accept that maybe I'm called to something more. You've been there when I felt like giving up. And honestly, if I could be half the pastor you are one day, I would be more than blessed.

Pastors aren't simply there to sit in an office and preach on Sunday mornings. They do so much more than we ever know. They give up time with their families to be with us. They give up sleep. They give up so much, and most of the time we forget to stop and say thank you. So, thank you. For everything you have ever done for me. My life is better because it has you in it.