Reflections Of Gratitude

Lion Bill Lemon, Pastor Bill Hegedus, Diane Hegedus, Lion Sandra Johnson

Our guest speaker this evening was pastor Bill Hegedus. Bill is a “retired” pastor who retired from full-time ministry in 2013. But he has also learned that as long as he has breath in him his service to God is not truly complete. As an “experienced adult” he has begun to look back on his life and reflect. As he does so, he keeps coming back to the word “Gratitude”. He is thankful for the opportunities that God has provided him through his life and for what God has done through him. One such opportunity was for him to work with children. Bill and his wife Diane were fortunate to be called to a church just outside of New York and have a 25 year career there working with children. Some would consider that a difficult assignment (and he did at times as well). But it can also be one of the most rewarding as well. Bill has a Moody perspective about working with children because he feels like influencing them has a greater potential impact since they have their whole lives ahead of them.

Over the years he has had many opportunities to minister internationally as well. One place that he has been in the past is Ghana. He had planned activities for a group of 300 children but ended up having between 2,000 and 3,000. That trip he had to rely on God because his plan was unusable. In July he will be taking a team of approximately 10 volunteers back to Ghana for another missionary trip. The team will be ministering to and providing school supplies to the Mephibosheth Training Center which is a school for the physically and mentally challenged in Apam, Ghana. In many places in the world children with disabilities have no hope of having a fruitful and productive life. Society looks down upon them and the are sometimes discarded and ignored. The Mephibosheth Training Center takes in children rejected by society and provides schooling and hope for a better life than what would be possible otherwise.

While preparing a message for this trip God laid the title “Born To Run” on Bill’s heart. That is very strange and ironic since many of these students are in wheelchairs and have other physical disabilities. But over time God revealed the rest of the message in four main points:

1. Life is a lifelong race. The bible compares life to a race. We cannot stop running until the race is over and that is when God ends our life. This is a lesson Bill learned since having “retired” in 2013. Not only that, but every life has a purpose. That’s why it’s so important that we never stop running our race.
2. Life is a unique race. Each person has a unique race to run. We all have different thoughts, experiences, talents, etc. And in some ways every one of us is handicapped in some way. Nobody is an expert in everything! But our creator knows everything about us and has created us and gifted us each perfectly to complete our own personal race. Perhaps best of all, unlike a worldly race, the goal is not to beat someone else. But, rather, just to finish our own race.
3. Life is a purposeful race. Every one of us matters to God We each have our own race to run customized just for us. And the goal is not worldly, but eternal. Relationships are very important to God – especially our relationship with Him. Our purpose is to glorify God by finishing our race.
4. Life is a rewarding race. We may never know the impact that we have on others in the kingdom of God until we get to heaven. But the eternal reward will be to be in God’s presence for eternity.

Bill noted that Lions help and encourage people as well and that is God’s work. He encouraged us to keep up the good work. He also asked for our prayers and support as the team heads to Ghana from July 26 – August 7.

If you would like to get additional information you can email PastorBillHegedus@gmail.com or call his mobile phone at (201) 446-2883.

And to send a tax-deductible donation, please mail it to:

Good News for the Nations Ministries
c/o Rev. William Hegedus
1511 Wesser Court
Fuquay Varina, NC 27526
(Please make check payable to: Good News for the Nations Ministries)