Three Funerals and a show

Over the past year I have attended three funerals. Today I supported my childhood buddy's family as they pay their final respects to his father's wife (his mother passed away when we were in high school). ((The other two were to say goodbye to a good friend's mother and sadly one was to say goodbye to a childhood friend who was my age and left behind a young family with three kids...cancer was the culprit)) Of the three funerals it was the my childhood friend's funeral that hit me the hardest and penetrated the deepest. He is missed.
I suppose I'm at the age where funerals will become more regular as time marches forward. As a child I was an alter boy and the church often used me for funerals. I had been to scores before I reached 18. Not knowing the departed back then I was not emotionally touched by any of the services...though my heart went out to the families. Today's funeral I felt the same as I did then. I came to support my Friend and his dad...but I had only met the woman once. Her illness was a long one and her passing was not a surprise so the family was handling it very well...narely a tear. So I felt out of place, no emotional connection, and no one to empathize with as everyone was composed.
This week has us also at a 4-day outreach program where we are hired to entertain and evangelize. Tonight is day 3. I don't envy the life of a full time evangelist. I will explain. People who don't have an active faith in and an active relationship with Christ will not understand what I am about to say. People who deny a God and or deny a Satan will likewise not understand. But those who do and most especially those who reach out to the world in the name of Christ will know very well what I am about to say. The Devil is out to stop the spread of Christianity. He doesn't like people evangelizing and he doesn't like people contemplating truth. He will throw everything and anything he can in the way to distract, dissuade or down right destroy those who evangelize. He is much happier with people arguing about faith, and sweating the details, he revels in and encourages hypocrisy. He wants you, me and everyone to keep their focus off truth and on the world. Evangelists are under constant attack from him. Whispers in his ear, actions of others, temptations, lies,anything that will cause one to loose focus of the Lord and refocus on anything else...especially self! These are just some of the tools Satan uses. Without prayer, respite, and encouragement I can't imagine how anyone can make it.
We have been doing evangelism for years but not regularly and this week we have been at it for 3 days.....and the attacks are coming relentlessly. But we are faithfull and God has been as well and has been providing us with everything we need to overcome.....still....keep the prayers coming.
God Bless!