took a plane....now I'm here.

As I got onto the plane I heard familiar voices.  I was in that airport daze.  Just move, wait, move, sit, fly, wait, stand, exit the plane.  I heard the voices again and realized the very reason I was getting on the plane was sitting right next to me.  She is the wife of the pastor who served the church in San Antonio.  I got to know both of them well.  We are gathering in the sanctuary at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow for his memorial service. There she was.  I only had enough time to say, "You are the reason I am on this plane.  I love you."  I kissed her cheek and then moved to my seat.

Today I saw the house we lived in for six years.  The cactus my wife planted in the front yard are really big now.  Also, I hugged a dear person that I used to work with.  Migdalia and I used to talk about the challenges of parenthood.  She is the director of a Montessori school in San Antonio.  I also walked around the church my wife and I served for eight years. Oh the memories that flooded me as I walked through those doors. 

Tonight I sit in this city that used to be my home.  My wife is at home...the place we live now.  She is swamped with work.  She is busy getting ready for a women's day retreat, needs to write a sermon and prepare for a Sunday School lesson as well as train two people to be leaders of the small groups for our capital campaign.  I'm praying for her sanity tonight.  We both have inherited a number of new responsibilities as two of our staff have left for new positions.