Am I a Bus Mechanic?
Am I a bus mechanic? I would have to answer that question with a yes. But what if someone were to ask me if I was a preacher, janitor, or grounds maintenance? I would once again have to answer yes. On Monday nights, some men in our church and I go to the local prison. Not one of us is called to be a pastor, but we all preach. Other times I find myself outside of the bus garage helping with other areas of our church that need attention. But when asked what my “Job Title” is I normally say, “Bus Mechanic.” All those other things might not be my primary job, but they are all things that I do. If a pastor was asked what his “job description” was, he might say he is a pastor or a preacher, but that doesn’t mean this is all he does. Most of the time pastors do not have the luxury to say, “All I do is my Pastoral duties.” Sometimes, if a pipe needs fixed or a parking lot light bulb needs changed, the pastor finds himself doing it. At some point as your people grow in the Lord, hopefully you will have men that can step up to the bat and do some of those little things for you. Many times with young Christians, you might get them to the church to help do some repairs but you will need to work alongside them leading by example. That is one thing I love about my pastor; he is not afraid to come out to the church in work clothes and get his hands dirty to make the grounds look good. 
I am reminded of my uncle, Pastor Philip Bishop, who pastors Lighthouse Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. He is a full-time pastor of his church, making visits, preparing sermons, and studying the Bible. But, if you were to ask him if he ever spends time under his buses repairing them, he would tell you yes. Pastor Bishop has pulled transmissions out in the parking lot of the church, replaced brakes, changed tires, and has chased down electrical issues. He has done enough work on his buses that I might call him a bus mechanic.
If the truth were known, church employees do not just do one job. Many of us wear multiple hats that we change many times in one day. If the unions ever took over the church I don’t know if churches would be able to exist. The job can seem overwhelming at times. At other times it might seem like there is more work to be done than there are hours in the day. But God has called us to a special job, and with that calling comes the power to perform that job also. “I Timothy 1:12, And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.”
Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Keep in the fight, pray and work hard, and God will bless you. If you are a pastor and you run buses, there is a good chance you might find yourself someday under the hood of a bus. When you or one of your members find yourself in this position and you are having an issue with your bus, contact me and we will work together over the phone as much as possible to get your problem resolved.
Pastors take the time to hear and counsel others in spiritual matters, and I will do my best to be available to help in any way I can if you have mechanical problems with your buses.
