God Moments

About eight or nine years ago, I was frustrated with my church. Jerry and I had been married for a year or two, but there wasn’t really a niche for us in the church. Things were geared either for families with kids or empty nesters — not young adults without kids. I went to a “discernment meeting” where we could voice complaints about this, and I complained. A lot. And then I came home, and there was a message on my answering machine with the timestamp of while I was driving TO the church. The message was asking me to serve as a Lay Eucharistic Minister (chalice bearer) for a three-year term. The rector (priest) nominates people for this ministry, and the Bishop of the diocese signs licenses. So I was honored.

Well. Allrightythen.

When my three-year term was over, I rotated off and just became a Lector (reader) again. After the first year was over, I hoped to be rotated back on as a LEM, and when the training day came and went I realized I hadn’t been asked. I was complaining to my mom about it, feeling down in the dumps, and the phone rang. It was my friend Bob, asking if I’d consider running for the church Vestry (governing council of our parish). I did, and was elected to a three-year term.

When that three-year term was over, I was asked to be a LEM again (YAY!) and I said yes.

On February 21, the father of a childhood friend died, and the ladies of the church called to see if I would be willing to serve as LEM at the funeral. I hadn’t done it in over 4 years, and I knew I’d cry all the way through the funeral. But the widow had specifically requested me. So I accepted the honor, and served at Charlie’s funeral on February 24.

Then, that same evening, after crying all the way through the funeral as I knew I would, I went to the Vestry party that the four of us who were rotating off gave for the new Vestry.

…

It has always amazed me that God always seems to answer me when I wonder what I should be doing next. My first time serving this time around was such an important time for a family that has been very dear to me for all of my life. And I couldn’t have been asked if I hadn’t rotated back on. And I couldn’t have rotated back on if I hadn’t rotated off Vestry. And I wouldn’t have been elected to the Vestry if I had been invited to be a LEM back in 2003.

When one door closes, another one opens. 🙂