Pastor shares appreciative letter

Pastor shares appreciative
message
Editor’s Note: The Rev. Jerry Hargett requested the below letter, which he received from another,  be puublished.
Dear Pastor and Missionary Hargett,
Congratulations on your pastoral anniversary. Sorry I could not be with you today to celebrate this event. But there is something I would like to share with you and your family.
In February, on Valentine’s Day, our most cherished grandson was taken from us unnecessarily. Our hurt, despair and depression seemed unending. We felt we had lost the presence of God on some days. We were living in misery.
Then, out of the blue came your Elijah. Each time we entered IGA, I wondered, “who is this kid who keeps smiling and circling us?” Soon, I realized I do have a beautiful 15-year-old daughter. A light bulb went off – “Oh, I get it” As Lydia and Elijah’s friendship developed, it didn’t take me long to figure out that Elijah is definitely not like most other young men. He has a plan that includes God, Jesus, education, marriage and children – a good plan that he is striving to follow. That relationship didn’t happen by coincidence. And yet it came as such a positive distraction away from the pain we were feeling. Your Elijah became our Elijah too. And with that young, flourishing relationship, we received so much more. Old friendships have been renewed, New friendships have been established.
As I sit here writing this letter with tears in my eyes remembering my grief and what we lost on Valentine’s Day, I am also shedding tears of joy because of what God has given us. One little life was taken from our midst. But a wonderful and merciful God blessed us with 10 God-loving, spiritually motivated people known as the Hargetts.
So thanks be to God for our new friends in Christ: Elijah, Lisa Darryl, Jacob, Charity, Johah, Jeremiah and Trinity, and to you, pastor and missionary Hargett, for encouragement and love to your legacy.
Coincidence or accident, I think not. God is good. He knows what we need and when we need it.
In Christian Love,
Sandy Thompson
P.S. Matt and Seth are blessings to us as well, so our cup runeth over with Hargetts.
Thank you again.
Submitted by the Rev. Jerry Hargett
Mount Vernon