one small church healing one minister

This year is not like all the rest,

especially as the holidays approach.

I'm certainly not the only one...

who flinches with grief as the holidays arrive.

I'm fairly sure...

Thanksgiving is not all that great for a turkey.

So this year I plan to boycott turkey...

in solidarity

with

others,

who are living in a year

that is not like all the rest.

I plan to eat pie!

Because...

as I have established before,

more than once,

pie makes everything better.

This past Sunday the small church I serve

ministered to me.

Last Sunday was my son's 19th birthday.

I told the church I really needed to be with him.

This meant I had to leave directly after worship

and miss the congregational dinner.

In the past...

at other churches...

this would have been a big deal.

I lost sleep the night before...

not sure how the small church I am serving

would react.

What did I learn?

This year is not like all the rest....

and this little church is proving it.

I teared up as I announced my son's birthday....

remembering that day I first saw him

behind a huge plate glass window,

in an unmarked crib.

We signed adoption papers that day

and took him home two days later.

I told the church what a blessing he has been,

what a blessing he is...

how much he has taught me.

With tears I ended the announcements

and went to sit in my chair

as the organist began our worship.

After the opening prayer

we opened our hymnals

to sing the first hymn.

Only thing...

the organist played the music

for the second hymn of the day.

I stood before her perplexed and smiling.

She finally recognized me

and realized what she was doing.

She silenced the pipes...

we continued to laugh...

And God made what seemed a mistake

into something else.

A man from the choir spoke up in the silence...

He said,

"Since we have paused our worship,

I think we should sing

Happy Birthday

to the Pastor's son."

And they did.

They sang

with such care and joy and love.

I cried...

deeply,

fully.

This little church is healing me.

This little church is living the "good news"....

and filling me up

as they live.

No,

this year is not like all the rest.

Though I will miss the traditions of the past...

Though I will grieve...

I pause to say

thank

you...

my heart is mending....

because the little church I serve

is healing me.