Yesterday was such a beautiful Sunday, a beautiful culmination of some great years of ministry. It began, perhaps appropriately, with my arrival at church to discover a burst pipe and a flooded basement. My contribution to the effort was to call the right church people on the phone. Before long, the offending water line was shut off, and the floor was being suctioned dry.
My biggest fear was that I would be a crumpled and teary mess from the very beginning of the morning and continue that way throughout the day. Instead, I was able to hold myself together and enjoy the experiences of the day. There were some powerful moments of God’s grace that morning. I did really well, until the final verse of “Blest Be the Tie,” the traditional Methodist hymn of parting. “When we asunder part, it gives us inward pain . . .” I just clutched onto Andy a little bit harder and made it through. The luncheon was a great deal of fun, and the gifts from the church were heartfelt and amazingly generous.
As I now turn my attention fully to where I am going, I know this: God’s grace, which has provided so abundantly so far, will surely guide me in this next adventure. I have only one fear (so far) about next Sunday morning: If I get to church and a water line is burst, how will I know who to call?
