God's Unchanging Hand

When you read this post Pat and I will be en route to Orlando, Florida for The Assemblies of God General Council. We have been privileged to attend every biannual meeting since 1969. The delight of each council includes business sessions, usually with lively debate. Sitting with friends, listening to the fine points of doctrine, tedious financial reports, motions to include or excise various practices, etc. Meal events allow us to honor great leaders retiring from office, learning about new opportunities for ministries, listening to great music and eating average food! The incentive to visit the exhibits isn’t as intense as when we were looking for products to help us in ministry. Stationers are down the road from us and they sell the paper, pens, and stamps we need to keep a home office going.

One evening, following a worship service, Pat and I will meet with college alumni in a large convention hotel ballroom. I will shake my head in wonderment, "How did all those people age like that?" "What happened to his hair?" Pat will invariably comment, "Life has a way of evening the playing field. The stunning ‘lookers’ now seem so average!" The hallways will fill with animated conversation. Our granddaughter will compete in the Fine Arts competition, and win! All this makes driving 2000 miles round trip worthwhile.

Sometime, in one of the worship services, at a meal function or conversation I expect to hear the voice of the Spirit. I cannot remember the exact instance from everyone of the 22 previous councils, but I will always remember our former General Superintendent, Thomas F. Zimmerman leading a song I had never previously heard.
Time is filled with swift transition,
Naught of earth unmoved can stand,
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.

Refrain:
Hold to God’s unchanging hand,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand;
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.
Trust in Him who will not leave you,
Whatsoever years may bring,

If by earthly friends forsaken
Still more closely to Him cling.
Covet not this world’s vain riches
That so rapidly decay,
Seek to gain the heav’nly treasures,
They will never pass away.
When your journey is completed,
If to God you have been true,
Fair and bright the home in glory
Your enraptured soul will view.

I was a rookie preacher. The ink on my diploma was still damp. My credentials were authentic but untested. I secretly prayed, "I hope we will make it!" The years have slipped by. The diploma has yellowed. The credentials were upgrade to "ordained," way back in 1968. Pat and I are still singing and still holding to God’s unchanging hand!

Ah, General Council," I wouldn’t miss it. Who knows, this may be the last one we will be able to attend. But then, there is always heaven! I really don’t want to miss that!