Ron Sauer

Memories of a Truck Stop Chaplain (eBook, ePUB)

The World of "Otr" (Over the Road Driver)

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

Our Chapel was not open 7 days a week because there were not enough Chaplains. If you are looking for a ministry, there is a great need for Chaplains. Truck drivers are one of the least groups that Christian's minister to. Even churches who almost sit next door to truck stops, disregard them. Compared to the number of "Full Service" Truck Stops there are few Chapels. You could say there are virtually none. And, even worse there are few Full Time and Volunteer Chaplains to staff them. Most of the Chapels are not open 24 hours or even 7 days a week. OTR Drivers are active 24 hours a day. With so few Chapels and Chaplains, that limits drivers to even have access to a Chapel, much less find one open. There are very few churches, even in rural areas that have room in their parking lots for a "big rig." It is a much-needed domestic ministry. It lacks Chapels because there are so few Chaplains. Chaplains have to raise their own financial support. The lack of financial support means Chaplains, both Full Time and volunteer, need to raise their own support. Local church support, along with individual support, for this domestic mission is needed.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: WestBow Press
• Seitenzahl: 96
• Erscheinungstermin: 25. August 2022
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781664273313
• Artikelnr.: 69337608

Autorenporträt

I was a Volunteer Chaplain for about 10 years in the Truck Stop Ministry at the "Transport For Christ" (TFC) Chapel at the T/A Travel Center in North Bend, WA. I was not a "perfect "person for the position. No one really is, because no one is perfect. I admit that I was far from being considered a model Christian. I admit that I was one good example of the forgiveness that God gives to everyone who sincerely asks. Many years before I was, shall we say, a very bad boy trying to make my outside look good. It never worked. It never does! I was brought up believing that I had to be perfect or that, "the mean old white haired man upstairs was just waiting to push His thumb down on me and punish me." My belief was that He enjoyed doing that and was always looking for me to fail Him. Since I couldn't be that good, I was never going to make Heaven and always punished. I don't think that, back in those days with some brimstone still being taught, I was alone then in my thinking or, for many even today in that very same thought.
As a youngster I grew up never feeling I was of any value. It made my bad behavior and the way I treated people. It definitely set my mind up for a belief of a "self-fulfilling prophecy" to myself that I would always be a failure. In later years, dealing with it helped me to help truck drivers and others. I lived that prophecy, and lived believing I would always be unforgiven, a failure, and causing failures to happen - making them happen. No one had talked to me about Jesus at my level of understanding, just the "mean old whitehaired man above." The words were just words, adult words that as a youngster I didn't really understand. It was just theology. Church basically was a social club where I got to see friends. When I got older it was still more of a social club and I was still the bad boy inside trying to look good on the outside. One day, that all changed. I was introduced to Jesus at a Christian Rock Concert. Rock and Roll and Christianity -wow -wow. Suddenly, life was good, had a purpose, and better yet I had a purpose. Shortly after I meet Jesus, I saw a segment on TV about a new ministry called Truck Stop Chapels. A little voice, quiet and still, said this is what I am supposed to do. However, shortly afterwards I heard another voice, very loudly, telling me otherwise. Never should have listened to it. It took God many, many years to get through my thick head, but I finally heard that "still, quiet voice" again and responded.
I lived about 100 miles away limiting days I could serve. God took care of equipping me and placing me where He wanted me to be. I have never regretted that decision to trust that still, quiet voice. Was I, or am I, the perfect person for the position? Absolutely not! But, that's what so good about all this. We don't equip our self, God equips those who respond to His calling. With no funds, He led me to the Biblical training (virtually knew zero), along with some other training I needed, and then placed me in the Chapel where He knew I would be of value. If He will do that for me, it's a guarantee that He can do that for you, if you are serious. I have left a few juicy things out for another time, should there be one. I am very proud of my2 daughters and my son. God has blessed me extremely with children and their mothers, and I thank Him. May there be many of you who have heard God's call to minister to Truck Drivers.