Down by the Riverside

Life is full of various twist and turns just like a riverside. It may be filled with happiness and sorrows... high and low moments but through it all, we must learn to be content, but not complacent, and though we are not always comfortable, we can be grateful for the opportunity to experience the comforter. This book is a celebration for it all, to remind us to thank God for it all! Pastor Morris wears all of the traditional hats one might imagine. She is a wife, mom to four adult children, grandma to two grandsons, whom she adores, and the oldest of eleven children. After the first encounter, you see that she is also a Pastor...a Pastor of some standing. However, here she takes a sharp turn away from "Tradition." Her style is refreshingly uncharacteristic of a Pastor. She preaches in 5-inch heels, with no collar, and no robe. There's something comforting about this, something that puts you at ease, right away. A member was asked, "So, do you view this non-traditional place of Worship as a hospital and the Pastor as a Doctor?" Without hesitation, she responded: "No, not a hospital. It's a Trauma Center. Many of us came from hospitals (churches), where the critically wounded could get stabilized. But, the patients (us) must get to the Trauma Center if they hope to be healed. They have to go where the doctors (Pastors) specialize in critical internal wounds. So, yes, she is a doctor." As healing takes place, members begin thinking that they've finally found a place of rest. But, no. Now, Pastor Morris becomes a midwife, nudging the still-wounded-but-no-longer-bleeding patient toward birthing the ministries to which God called them. Many had shelved their God-given visions out of fear, ridicule, scolding, shrinking the size of God, or laziness. Today, most are up moving around, and exercising spiritual muscles they'd forgotten they have. Now, these wounded warriors begin tending to those who are still too wounded to walk in their gifts. They go to their bedsides, encouraging, urging, praying, demanding that they get up and move toward VICTORY!